


Gryffindor's Girl

by BexSilverthorne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Currently in 4th year, Fate fights back, Fem! Harry, Gen, lots of injuries, multiple POVs, not romance focused, somewhat a time-travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-23 04:05:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 194,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14324199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BexSilverthorne/pseuds/BexSilverthorne
Summary: When a magical backlash causes a rift in space and time, an unsuspecting girl is pulled back and forth, leaving her with knowledge of the future and a destiny that is too big to ignore. Unwilling to sit back and watch, she will do anything in her power to stop the Dark Lord's rise. But Fate itself will fight her every step of the way. AUFem!Harry. Summer before 3rd year and beyond.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**May 29th, 1993**

**The Chamber of Secrets**

Mary raised the sword high above her head, holding the hilt with both hands to get the best leverage, as the basilisk once again lunged at where she stood above the bust of Salazar Slytherin's head. She thrust her arm forward and put as much strength into her blow as she physically could, knowing that she didn't have much left in her. The shiny blade cut through the sinew and bone of the roof of the creatures mouth and emerged from the top of it's skull, covered in blood. Mary pulled her arm back in shock as the crook of her elbow burned with a bone aching pain that caused the small girl to stumble and fall to her knees. The giant snake dropped like a rock, it's body writhing frantically, in those fitful moments before death took it.

Blinding pain wracked her body as she climbed down the stone wall, hoping that she had enough time left to save Ginny from Riddle.

"You're running out of time, Potter." The shade of Voldemort smirked in amusement, looking down at his hands and arms that were becoming more corporal by the second. "Nothing can save you now."

"Wake up, Ginny." She weakly shook the younger girl's shoulder. "Please wake up."

Tom Riddle took in a deep breath and closed his eyes in bliss. "So close."

Mary looked down at the diary that was the culprit behind this current predicament and picked it up. The moment her blood and venom coated fingers brushed the cover, Tom Riddle let out an ear piercing shriek that echoed through Mary's very soul. His face was blistering and burning just as Quirrel's had. Shaking her head from the daze, she stared down at the way the supple brown leather seemed to wilt and blacken where the venom had touched it. In a crazy burst of inspiration, Mary yanked the fang from her arm, ignoring the cold sweat that erupted on her face, and slammed the tip of the sharp ivory tooth into the cursed book. Black blood seeped from the seams, pooling on the floor like water. Riddle again screamed out in agony, seeming to crumple inward on himself as golden burning cracks appeared on his person. His glowing red eyes lifted and met hers just as his body exploded into a burst of orange light, knocking Mary back a few feet and into a stone wall, making her vision fade until all that was left was startling darkness.

* * *

Mary opened her eyes some time later, feeling oddly weightless and pain free, something that immediately set her on edge. Dark trees covered the path she lay on, not even giving her a view of the stars above. The hair on her arms stood on end as a cold prickly feeling ran up her spine. What worried her even more was the fact that she clearly recognized where she was.

_I'm in the Forbidden Forest!_  She thought in fear.  _Aragog and his children could be anywhere, waiting to pounce!_ How on earth had she ended up there of all places?

Standing quickly, she brushed her sticky hands over her filthy bloodstained robes, not taking her eyes off of her surroundings in fear that something would sneak up on her.

Light footsteps echoed in the distance, sending her spinning in place and ducking behind a hedgerow. A young boy - probably a seventh year -, wearing torn Muggle clothing, stepped quietly along the path leading into the deeper more dangerous parts of the forest. He was shrouded by a silvery cloak and grasped a small golden ball in his hand. She watched transfixed while he placed the Snitch next to his lips and whispered softly to it. His words were muffled by the light breeze, and Mary wondered why he was talking to a Snitch while walking through the forest. It didn't make any sense.

In a bold fit of Gryffindor bravery, Mary stepped out from her hiding place and loudly cleared her throat, but the boy gave no sign of having heard her.

"Hey!" Mary called out to him. "Are you okay? You shouldn't be out here! It's dangerous!"

He kept walking as though he hadn't heard her.

She ran in front of him and blocked his path, but he simply walked through her, sending chills running up and down her spine.

"Wait!" She screamed at him desperately. "Help me! Please!"

He stopped and turned around, but he was not looking at her. His wide fearful eyes traveled from left to right as he spoke in hushed tones.

"Who  _are_  you talking to?" Mary wondered aloud.

"You'll stay with me?" The bespectacled boy pleaded with the empty air.

Mary searched the area once more and found no other signs of life while the other boy kept talking. For all the crazy ideas her mind had come up with, the only one that made sense was that somehow when she was destroying Riddle's diary she had ended up trapped in the damned thing.

_Maybe he's one of Voldemort's victims._  Mary wondered critically as she kept pace with the older boy.  _Maybe we're both trapped here._

They walked further into the dense forest, seeming to follow the path at a snail's pace. Every few minutes the boy would look up to the canopy where dark shadows swam against the sky and Mary wondered what the odd creatures were. She was so focused on them that she had lost sight of the older boy until a familiar voice caught her ear.

"HARRY!" Hagrid boomed. "NO!"

Mary ran forward, searching for her first true friend, as fast as her legs would take her.  _Who's Harry?_  She wondered as she dodged limbs and briers, her heart clenching at the sound of Hagrid's heartbroken pleas. Mary stumbled into the clearing, gasping loudly while trying to catch her breath, but the plethora of people surrounding her paid her no mind. They couldn't see her either.

The boy, Harry, stood to one side, back ramrod straight as he faced a tall bald man with glowing red eyes and a slit for a nose. The  _thing_  smiled slightly as it raised an odd looking pale wand and pointed it at Harry.

"Harry Potter," It said to the boy.

Mary hissed at the familiarity of the surname and ran toward the boy, stopping beside him to take in his features. _Potter? A relative of her father's, maybe?_

"Voldemort." Harry responded shortly, showing no weakness or fear.

The red eyed being stared at Harry with a mocking sneer on his lips, but she could see the indecision and wariness in the being's eyes. "The boy who lived."

He used the moniker with disdain heavy in his tone. She was the Girl Who Lived, Voldemort was supposed to be after  _her,_ not this innocent boy. Her heart almost stopped as she was forced to watch the way the others in the clearing made no move to help Harry. A dark haired woman with large eyes cackled quietly, rocking back on the heels of her bare feet.

Harry didn't flinch or move, but stood with stoic resignation as the most feared wizard in the world stood before him.

Mary tried to push Harry away, but her hands slid right through him. She screamed loudly in his ears, but he never heard her. Tears ran down her face as she struggled with the reality that there was absolutely nothing she could do. Death was coming closer and there was no escape. There was no hope or time. It was simply the end.

"No." Mary shook her head, her hand passing through Harry's arm once again.

Voldemort moved at the same time Mary did. As he raised his wand, she stepped in front of Harry. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders, but it was the best she could do.

The spell flew forward and Mary closed her eyes as green light engulfed her. The spell lifted her off of her feet and slammed her back onto the cold ground. Her head spun with the impact, but that was the least of her worries.

Memories that were not her own overwhelmed her. Good, bad, mundane, no memory was filtered out as she watched the life of one Harry James Potter flooding through her mind, burning into her subconscious as though they were her own. They clawed into her brain, burrowing in, burying themselves so deep they were blurring her own view of reality.

**_Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as the dark haired woman held the silver knife over her bleeding arm._ **

**_Cedric Diggory's dead eyes stared up at the cloudless sky._ **

_**George pleaded with his twin to come back as Fred lay motionless in his arms.** _

_**A tall hulking figure hovered over the body of Lavender Brown.** _

_"No."_ She fought against the unknown, her heart breaking at the onslaught of devastation and pain. " _NOOO!"_

* * *

The green light of the Killing Curse blazed behind her eyelids and Mary sat straight up choking for breath. The air seemed far too thin and spots danced before her eyes as she struggled to make sense of what had happened. She clutched her head in her hands and tried to quell the sensation of hammers accosting her skull from the inside.

_Deep breaths._  She told herself. And sad as it was, it took her a few moments to be able to calm her breathing enough to draw in a lungful of air. She let out a sigh and leaned back against the fluffy pillows, trying to gather her composure enough to open her eyes.

Last she remembered, she had stabbed Tom Riddle's diary with the basilisk's fang, then overwhelming pain radiated from the place where the fang had been lodged in her arm and she had blacked out. After that, she'd been stuck in some kind of nightmare where she was forced to witness the horror and grief a male version of herself endured. It was so realistic that she had actually felt the pain and sorrow as though it were real.

Mary rubbed her hands vigorously across her eyes and cheeks, trying to break herself from the morose thoughts. With a sigh she opened her eyes and was grateful for the dim lighting, but was completely confused as to her whereabouts. The room she was in was bare other than the bed she laid in, a small bedside table and a comfortable looking armchair. It didn't look like the Infirmary at Hogwarts, or at least not any room she'd ever been in before.

Feeling like a newborn colt, she swung her legs off the side of the bed, and had to lean heavily against it just to take a few shorts steps.

"Where am I?" She whispered in a slight panic, as her legs gave out beneath her.

Mary crumpled to the floor in a heap as the darkness once again dragged her back down.

**.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	2. The Dursleys

Mary was back in the bed when she next opened her eyes. A dark haired woman in lime green robes had her back to her and was looking over a stack of parchment that sat on the tiny metal table. She watched while woman tapped the papers with her wand and they rolled up into a scroll and disappeared from sight.

"Hi." Mary whispered weakly, startling the older woman so badly that she knocked the table over.

"Miss Potter!" The woman smiled warmly, waving her wand to right the mess she'd made. "It's good to see you finally awake. I'm Healer Tonks."

"Uh, no offence, but where  _am_  I?" Her upper arm itched like mad and she tried to push the feeling back, but with little victory.

"You're in St. Mungo's, Miss Potter." Healer Tonks held up her hand in a gesture meant to reassure, but it only made Mary more anxious.

"What happened?" Mary asked at once, scratching at the band on her arm. "Are Ron and Ginny okay?"

"You were brought here after an incident with a basilisk at Hogwarts." Healer Tonks gently pried her hand away from her arm. "Don't mess with that, Miss Potter."

"Ron and Ginny?" Mary asked again, annoyance creeping into her tone. "Are they okay?"

"The Weasley children are fine, dear." Healer Tonks patted her hand kindly.

"What is this thing?" Mary scratched at the silver cuff on her arm, that wrapped around her bicep just above the crook of her elbow, in an attempt to dig it out with her fingernails. "Why won't it come off?

Healer Tonks grimaced and grabbed Mary's hand once again before she could scratch her arm to the bone. "Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix cried on the wound, likely saving your life, but for some reason it didn't heal completely. You've been in a coma for the last three weeks."

Mary looked at the older witch and furrowed her brow. "Shouldn't Fawkes' tears have counteracted the basilisk venom?"

"Your professors were worried that the mixing of two strong magical substances caused irreparable damage. They brought you here where you could be monitored round the clock." The older witch told her in a sympathetic tone. "That is an invention of Professor Dumbledore's. He placed it there to nullify the basilisk venom and keep it contained."

Mary stared at the silver cuff in disgust. "No, that's not right. Phoenix tears should have just healed it."

Healer Tonks gave her a pitying glance. "Normally, yes, but something happened that altered the way the two volatile magics normally behave. You'll have to ask Professor Dumbledore about any other details as I simply do not know how to explain it. No one has seen a case as unique as yours."

"So how long do I have to keep it on?" Mary questioned with a deep sigh then looked up at the Healer with a confused look. "Wait, if it cuts off my magic, how will I use my wand?"

"We're not certain how long it will take for us to find a better solution, but we are trying." Healer Tonks squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. "And I'm afraid you'll have to learn to use your left hand for magic. It may even be in your best interest to find a wand that suits it better, if your own fails."

Mary scraped her palm over her face and took a deep breath. "My right hand is now a Muggle.  _Lovely_."

Mary thought back to what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets and clearly remembered killing the basilisk, it's fang lodging itself in her arm, and stabbing the diary. She watched Voldemort's shade die and Ginny woke up.  _Or was that part of the dream she had of being a boy?_

 _Best not tell the healers **that**._  She thought grimly.  _They'll think I've gone barmy._

Healer Tonks waved her wand over Mary once again, then tapped it on the scroll. "I'll go get you a lunch tray and contact Professor Dumbledore. He might be able to explain what I cannot."

"Thanks." Mary nodded gratefully, still lost in thought.

Thinking back over the dream, even Harry had fought the basilisk, but he had escaped with Fawkes and Ginny in time to free Dobby the house elf. He hadn't been hurt all that bad, and the phoenix tears healed him completely. Harry'd left the Headmaster's office without even so much as a checkup and was in perfect health.  _I guess that's the perk of being in a dream._  Mary thought wryly.

She wondered what happened to Ron and how he and found Ginny. _How did they make it out of the tunnel? Where was Lockhart? Did Hermione wake up from her petrification?_ Other than that and ending up in the hospital, everything she had dreamed about Harry had happened to her right up until stabbing the diary.  _Is my imagination just running wild?_

Looking at the calendar on the wall, Mary realized that she'd been asleep for the better part of the summer. It didn't feel like much of a loss though. It's not like the Dursley's would be torn up over her being absent. They'd probably had a party for every day that she didn't darken their normal old doorstep with her freakish presence.

Healer Tonks walked in a few moments later, holding a cafeteria tray, with Dumbledore following closely behind her. "It's good to see you awake, child."

"Eat as much as you can." The Healer sat a tray holding a bowl of broth and a cupful of juice on Mary's lap. "I'll be back in half an hour to start another round of potions."

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked kindly as he dig through his pockets and pulled out a small cellophane bag of yellow sweets. "Lemon Drop?"

"Thanks." She grabbed one and placed it on her napkin then sat forward. "I'm okay, sir. Just a little out of sorts."

"I can imagine so." Dumbledore nodded and sat down in the chair beside her bed and steepled his hands together as he peered at her over his half moon shaped glasses. "I too feel disoriented after a long nap."

"Do you know what happened, sir?" Mary asked quietly. "I can't seem to remember getting out of the Chamber."

"After you collapsed, Miss Weasley was distraught, thinking that you were dead. She ran back through the chamber to where her brother Ronald and Professor Lockhart were hauling rocks out of the way and managed to find a place to climb through." Dumbledore shook his head and patted her hand. "The three of them made their way back up the tunnel that led to the girls restroom on the second floor."

"Ginny is okay though, right sir?" Mary begged for more information. "She didn't look very well."

"She is fully recovered." He smiled in assurance, then sighed. "I'm afraid that Professor Lockhart didn't fare as well. His backfired spell has caused permanent damage to his memories."

Mary had no sympathy for the dishonest man, and didn't feel the need to act as though she did. "How did I get out?"

"Your friends were in hysterics when they were found in the corridor by Professor Sprout." Dumbledore continued. "They arrived in my office where their parents were, having already been told of their only daughter's kidnapping. Young Mister Weasley was able to fill in some of the blanks, but the loss of his best friend seemed to be taking it's toll. And then Fawkes appeared with you, the diary, the Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor. But he would not let anyone near you until he finished crying onto your wound."

"I love that old bird." Mary smiled, then grimaced at the thought of being dumped onto the office floor in front of an audience. "Hermione is right. I  _do_  have the tendency to make an entrance."

"That was a particularly frightening one, if I may say." Dumbledore peered at her over the rims of his glasses. "We were all quite worried about you, child."

"I'm okay." She shrugged and played with a loose thread on her blanket. "Did you know that it was Lucius Malfoy who gave Ginny the diary?"

"I suspected it." Dumbledore evaded her line of questioning. "I'm sure that he knows now that such a thing will not be tolerated. Especially after his house elf, Dobby, was quite vehement in defending you. Luckily a misplaced sock spared him the punishment he was sure to receive."

"One of yours?" Mary quirked a brow at him.

"Guilty as charged." The old man's eyes twinkled brightly. "While I offered him employment at the school, he claims to want to spend some time out and about."

"That's great!" Mary was truly happy that the odd little elf had obtained the freedom he desired.

"If I may ask." Dumbledore leaned toward her slightly. "What happened with the diary? Young Ginny could only say that a young boy appeared in it when she would write to him."

Mary stared at her hands to avoid looking into those knowing eyes, while trying to decide just what she should tell him.

"It belonged to Tom Riddle." Mary finally replied. "He was there, not really a ghost, but he claimed that if Ginny died he'd be alive again. He said that he was using the diary to drain her life away. I didn't know what else to do, sir. I'd already been poisoned and was running out of time. So I stabbed it with the fang I pulled out of my arm."

"It was a very brave thing you did, Mary." Dumbledore told her in a soft voice. "Once again you've prevented Lord Voldemort's return to the mortal world."

"I had a lot of help from my friends." Mary shrugged, uncomfortable with the undeserved praise.

Dumbledore sat quietly while she ate, staring down at his hands as though in deep thought. "Do you have questions about the Magical Suppression cuff?"

"Yeah." Mary sighed and scratched at her arm where the cuff sat. "Healer Tonks said I can't take it off right yet."

"I'm sorry, my dear." Dumbledore replied honestly, looking slightly shaken. "Your magic was in an odd state of flux. I don't know if Healer Tonks told you, but Fawkes' tears neutralized the basilisk venom just enough to heal your arm, but the warring magics almost killed you. It wasn't until I found a way to isolate and cut off the magic to your arm that we were able to stabilize you."

Mary rubbed at the cold band of silver. "Thank you, sir. I really do appreciate you inventing this for me."

"If you have no more questions, child, I do believe I will take my leave and let you get some rest." Dumbledore stood and smiled at her. "With any luck, you'll be well on your way home tomorrow."

"The Dursleys will be thrilled." Mary's face fell and she looked back down at her blanket in thought. "I did have one more question, sir. I know you had your reasons not to answer when I asked at the end of first year, but can you tell me now why Voldemort seems so intent on killing me? Even his sixteen year old self was obsessed with it. It can't just be because he failed to kill me as a baby."

Dumbledore seemed to consider her request, then slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not something I can answer today, dear girl."

Mary clenched her fist, burying her fingernails into her palm. "I understand, sir."

"Sleep well, Mary." He nodded and left the room without another word, but the sympathetic look in his eyes suggested that he knew far more than he was willing to tell her.

A large burly nurse with broad shoulders and grey hair walked into the room before the door could even close. The woman said nothing, but stared down at her stonily as she handed Mary foul tasting potions that made her body feel like jello and her eyes grow heavy with drowsiness.

* * *

Professor McGonagall showed early up the next morning, not long after Healer Tonks took away her barely touched tray of eggs and toast.

Mary looked up at the Transfiguration professor and tried to smile. "Morning, Professor."

"Morning, Potter." The older witch gave her a small smile in return. "I'm here to escort you home."

Mary's frown turned into a grimace as she got out of the bed, feeling stronger than she had the day before, but still not ready to face the Dursleys. "Thank you, professor."

McGonagall shot her a shrewd and calculating glance. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned that you may be in need of a new wand. I'll take you to Ollivander's and if you can promise to keep this to yourself, I have your supply list for the upcoming year. We can get your needed texts and supplies so that you can be ready for the next term."

Mary took the envelope that was handed to her and opened it carefully. The list was exactly how she remembered from her dream and Mary made a mental note to find out what else was the same.

Mary read over the offered courses for third years. "I know I picked Divination when we talked about electives this spring, but I think I'd have better luck with Ancient Runes. Can I switch?"

"Of course you can." McGonagall replied in a relieved tone. "But know that these courses will determine the kind of career you choose in the future. Ancient Runes will be a very wise choice. Arithmancy would be wonderful too."

"I'll tackle that beast on my own time, ma'am. Knowing my luck, Hermione will take it and I'll end up learning it anyway." Mary folded up the letter and placed it on the bed. "The professors won't mind if I come to them with a question every once in a while though, will they?"

"As long as you do not abuse their time and help, I don't see them minding." Professor McGonagall said primly, staring around the empty room. "Do you have anything here that you wish to take with you?"

Mary looked around the room in question and her face flushed as she looked down at her hospital gown. "I don't even have anything to wear, ma'am."

"Oh," Professor McGonagall let out a quiet laugh and looked at Mary over the rim of her glasses. "I  _am_  a Transfiguration professor, Potter."

With a wave of her wand, McGonagall transformed Mary's striped hospital gown into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a nice warm jumper.

Mary smiled widely as she grabbed her Holly wand from the bedside table and held back a grimace as she felt absolutely nothing when holding her beloved wand in her right hand. In a fit of inspiration, Mary twisted her waist length dark hair into a messy bun, sliding her wand through it to hold it in place.

Professor McGonagall's lips thinned considerably at the sight. "Mister Ollivander will be highly offended at the sight of one of his creations being used as a hair accessory."

Mary shrugged her shoulders and dug her hands into her pockets. "I'll take it out before we get there. Might even get a couple wand holsters."

McGonagall nodded once and breathed deeply. "A very wise choice."

* * *

**Minerva McGonagall**

"Here we are, Potter." The tall woman steadied her student and cleared her throat after the two had Apparated to the edge of Number Four, Privet Drive. "I must say, It's been a long time since I've had such a pleasant day."

Potter smiled brightly up at her with a determined air. "We'll have to go shopping again next summer, Professor."

"I look forward to it." She nodded, a thin hand on the young girl's shoulder, using the other to knock lightly on the door.

Potter stood next to her, straight backed in trepidation as loud footsteps could be heard approaching. It put her on edge to see the young girl, who'd always been brave and courageous, backing away and looking ready to flee.

A very large man pulled the door open and growled when he saw the wary girl standing there. "You! I thought those freaks said you were in the hospital!"

Potter blinked up at him. "I recovered."

"A shame." The man gritted out and turned to see Minerva standing there. "Couldn't your lot just keep her?"

She was immediately incensed at the man's attitude and her temper flared at the way he talked to a girl whom had been through quite a trying ordeal.

"Miss Potter is your niece." Minerva clutched her wand tightly in her hand. "You haven't visited or wrote to her once since she was injured. What is your excuse,  _Muggle_ , for such an act?"

A small hand on her arm distracted her from the lengthy tirade she was about to unleash on the fat man. "It's okay, ma'am."

Dursley looked at the young girl in hatred. "Upstairs. Now. Leave your freakish things and that stick in the cupboard. And that owl best not make any noise, girl!"

Potter nodded her head and ran into the house and up the stairs. Minerva pushed passed the lout, ignoring his protests, and followed her student up the steps into a tiny room that looked more like a storage locker than a young girl's bedroom. While Potter was pulling the shrunken parcels from her pockets, Minerva took a glance around the room and grimaced at the state it was in. The mattress was lumpy and looked like it had seen better days. The threadbare blanket and far too flattened pillow were past any kind of repair. Everything was either broken or so worn out that it was almost beyond repair. Minerva had half a mind to burn it all to ashes and start new. Nothing in the room resembled the strong willed girl that had been sorted into Gryffindor almost three years before.

With a wave of her wand, Minerva vanished everything but the furniture and most recent purchases, startling her student. "I'll be sending some new things to you, Potter."

"But." The poor girl looked horrified at the now empty room.

"I'll have it sent within a few hours by Annie, my house elf." Minerva held up a hand to stave off any arguments. "I'll repair what's left before I leave. You are to keep your belongings and your wand in here with you. I don't care what that  _man_  says."

Potter looked down and sat on the dilapidated chair with flushed cheeks and Minerva resisted the urge to hug the young girl. She had known that things at the Dursleys had not been great for her student, but to see both the way she was treated alongside the way she was forced to live was unforgivable. Albus had a lot of explaining to do.

With a few strong repairing charms, the furniture was in better condition, and a few more spells had Potter's purchases and the contents of her trunk were all unpacked and ready to be put away.

Minerva looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for dinner. "I best return to the school."

The young girl sent her a resigned smile. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

"It was no problem, Potter." Minerva nodded at her. "Owl me if you need anything at all."

The child looked around the bare room as if in search of something, but jumped when a tapping noise sounded from the window. She moved the shade aside and revealed the white Snowy owl sitting on the other side of the thick metal bars.

Minerva's vision tinged red at the sight of the bars and immediately vanished them, hoping that the damned Muggles ended up in the deepest pit of Hades. No other window on the house had bars across it. That alongside the many locks on the outside of the door told a story all in itself. One that Minerva wasn't sure she wanted to hear.

"Thank you." The girl smiled at her, opening the window to let the bird in. "Have a good night, ma'am."

"You as well." Minerva shut the bedroom door behind herself and looked at the locks in disdain.

 _So the Dursleys wanted to keep the girl a prisoner in her own room?_  She realized with a heavy heart. The burden of guilt and betrayal that had festered in her heart for the past twelve years surged forward and she could nary contain it. The child should have never been left, abandoned really, by those of her own kind. Albus be damned, she'd find a way to make it right.

" _Repello Muggletum_." Minerva cast at the doorway.

With a sly smile, she vanished the series of locks and descended the stairs, leaving the house without anyone noticing. The cat Animagus knew for a fact that if any Muggle tried to find Potter, they'd be automatically diverted, thinking that they had forgotten something important and completely forget who they were really looking for.

"Annie." Minerva whispered quietly from beside a thick hedge.

A small pop sounded and a tiny elf appeared in front of her, wearing a pink paisley dress. "Yous called Annie, Madam?"

"Go to the Gryffindor supply room and bring a full set of bedding including a new mattress. Bring them here to Mary Potter and help her arrange everything." She pointed at the young girl that could be seen sitting at the small desk in front of the window. "Bring her a basket of food also, whatever is being served by the Hogwarts elves should be fine. Find me as soon as it's taken care of."

"Right away, Madam." Annie nodded and disappeared with a soft pop.

* * *

Dinner at Hogwarts that night was highly uneventful. Minerva had been both outraged and saddened by the way Dumbledore explained the issue with the Dursleys and just how important the wards were. But the witch was not deterred, she would find a way to make sure the young girl was raised to be both safe and happy, even if Minerva had to do it herself. Towards the end of the meal, where Minerva had to resist choking a certain Divination professor with her bare hands, Annie appeared next to her, wringing her hands and looking quite put upon.

"What happened, Annie?" Minerva asked kindly. "Is something wrong?"

The little elf tugged on her ears. "It is being Miss Potter, Madam. She is not wanting Annie to leave until Annie sits down and eats dinner with her."

Minerva bit her cheek to keep from smiling at the poor elf. Annie must have been both shocked and confused by Potter's offer.

"You are a good elf, Annie." Minerva patted the tiny shoulder. "I'm sure Potter was thrilled to have you as company."

The elf flushed under the praise. "You is being too kind, Madam."

"Nonsense." Minerva replied firmly. "I won't keep you any longer. You may have the rest of the night to do as you wish."

Annie nodded and snapped her fingers, leaving once again with a small pop.

Minerva smiled to herself and shook her head and set into her pudding with a lighter heart. If all went well, Potter wouldn't have to interact with the Muggles very much over the summer, thanks to the ward that she had put over the door that would keep them from finding her even if they knew where she was.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	3. A Short Summer

**July 21st, 1993**

**Mary Potter**

Mary sat at her newly repaired desk and let out a deep sigh. For the first time in her memory, Dudley's second bedroom was completely clean. His old broken toys, ragged, overly large clothes, and lumpy old mattress were gone. The bed now had a brand new soft mattress, blankets, and pillows Mary was sure had once been in the Gryffindor dorms. All of her clothing now resided in the small wardrobe and her most valuable belongings were still carefully hidden in her trunk, while her wands had a safe place under the floorboard, just in case Uncle Vernon searched her room for them.

The extreme loneliness that Mary had always felt in that house was still there though. No matter what had been done to make her room more bearable, it still felt like a prison where she was highly unwelcome, yet unable to leave. Instead of wallowing in self pity, Mary instead finished her summer assignments with the best of her ability, making sure that her penmanship and grammar were both correct before rolling up the scrolls of parchment and placing them in her trunk. Snape's essay on shrinking potions had taken her the longest, as she put in far more effort to double the required length, not wanting to give the irritable man any other reason to pick on her.

Halfway through the third day of her imprisonment, Mary received letters from her friends, finally adding a ray of hope on her otherwise gloomy summer.

_Hey Mary!_

_How's your summer going? Hope the Muggles aren't being too hard on you. Don't worry about Ginny, she's doing okay. She's just been a little quiet since all that rot in the Chamber._

_I reckon mum is still on Dumbledore about adopting you. Hope he agrees or she'll explode! It'd be right nice to have you around more._

_Guess what? Dad's won the 700 Galleon draw at work! We're going to Egypt to visit Bill! Even Charlie will be there! Wish you could come with us, but Dumbledore told mum that you needed to stay with the Muggles a little longer. Maybe we can meet up in Diagon Alley when we get back?_

_Owl me back soon._

_-Ron_

_Dear Mary,_

_I'm so sorry that we weren't there when you woke up. I wanted to stay, I truly did, but the Healers had no idea you would be waking up so soon. I'm very glad that you are doing well and there hasn't been any complications from your coma._

_I'm so jealous that you've already bought your books for next year! You must tell me how they are. You are reading them, right? And why on Earth did you drop Divination? It is surely going to be interesting. You should have just added Ancient Runes instead of dropping a class that could be very enlightening. I can't believe Professor McGonagall didn't try to persuade you to keep it in your schedule._

_Well, my parents want to get back to the museums before they close. I'll send this with Hedwig before she gets any more irritated with me._

_Love from,_

_Hermione_

Over the next few weeks, Hedwig gladly traveled back and forth carrying correspondence to and from her friends. Ron kept his letters short, but always asked how she was faring, and in turn would write about what new mischief the twins had gotten themselves into. Hermione on the other hand, wrote long manuscripts that detailed her travels and holiday adventure. Not to mention paragraphs of pleading and begging that Mary give her more clues and hints about the third year books. Mary didn't think that her bushy haired friend would be satisfied until she sent her the books a chapter at a time.

She desperately wanted to write them both, explaining the odd dream in hopes that they would have some kind of helpful advice, but she already knew what their response would be. Ron would tell her that it was just a dream, a side effect of the potions she had been fed. Hermione would go into a lengthy explanation on inter-dimensional travel in the magical world and how it was highly unlikely that she'd had anything more than a very vivid nightmare. Still it nagged at her that she remembered it all so clearly.

For the most part, the Dursleys acted as though she wasn't even there. Every few days though, particularly when Hedwig was chirping at Mary in conversation, Uncle Vernon would stomp up the stairs yelling about hearing 'that damned owl', only to stomp back down the stairs and start talking to Aunt Petunia again like nothing had happened.

The basket of food that Annie the house elf brought on her first night back, stayed sitting on the top of Mary's trunk. Each night it disappeared before Mary went to sleep, only to reappear first thing in the morning, full of delicious food. Regular meals while staying with the Dursleys was something she still wasn't used to, especially as she was barely able to get out and exercise. Instead of staring at the ceiling or rereading her textbooks, Mary spent every waking moment documenting every bit of her dream onto paper. It was a long and tedious task, trying to make sure that everything was exactly as she'd seen it, but by the third week, she'd filled out all seven leather bound journals with almost every detail possible. If nothing else, than having put it to paper would ease it off her mind just a little.

Mary's heart broke as she wrote down the last few pages into the seventh journal. To think that Harry'd been through all of that, only to be killed, was enough to have tears burning her eyes. He'd lost and sacrificed so much only to never have his happy ending. But he hadn't been the only one to give his life. Professor Dumbledore, Fred, Colin, Lavender, and Dobby had all been lost in Harry's story.

With a burst of inspiration, Mary jotted down the last few words and closed the journal. "Dobby?"

After a few tense minutes, where Hedwig lifted her head from beneath her wing and stared at Mary like she'd lost her mind, a soft pop sounded and the little elf appeared before her.

Dobby didn't even have the opportunity to speak before Mary gathered him up in a tight hug. "How are you, Dobby?"

"Dobby is fine, Mary Potter!" He squeaked loudly and patted her on the back. "Dobby is so happy that Marry Potter is calling Dobby!"

Mary sat down on the bed and gestured for the elf to take a seat. Dobby looked reluctant to sit, but at Mary's pointed look, he finally sat beside her.

"Professor Dumbledore told me that you're free now." Mary smiled at him kindly. "How is it?"

Dobby looked down at his filthy tea towel and bandaged hands. "It is being hard work for Dobby. House elves are not trusted once freed. Wizards won't hire Dobby."

Mary looked at her friend in concern. "Where are you staying then?"

"Dobby has found an old crate behind the market." Dobby nodded his head proudly. "It is being big enough for Dobby and keeps the rain away."

Mary reached over and grabbed the basket from her trunk and set it on the bed between them. Her mind whirled with ways that she could help him, and finally came to a conclusion that could benefit them both.

She looked up at the elf with pleading eyes. "I have a favor to ask of you, Dobby."

Dobby's great bulbous eyes widened and he leaned forward while wringing his hands together. "Anything for the great Mary Potter! Dobby will do whatever you is needing."

"Can you do magic here without the Ministry or anyone else finding out or thinking it was me, like last year?" Mary asked seriously.

"Oh yes, Mary Potter." Dobby replied gravely, looking suddenly very guilty. "That is only happening because Dobby mimicked Mary Potter's magical signature. House elf magic is not tracked by the Ministry of Magic."

Mary clapped her hands together and smiled, before pulling two warm plates of food out of the basket. "Let's eat dinner first."

Dobby took the plate with tearful eyes and Mary had to choke down her own sadness. It hit far too close to home to think that the little elf had been starved and homeless all this time. She knew better than most how bad it could get when days would go by with little food or water.

When they finished eating, Mary went to her trunk and grabbed a set of work robes that she'd used in her first year. The trousers and shirt were far too small for her, but Dobby could easily shrink them to his own size. Thankfully, the Dursleys had been gone all day, and Mary was able to let Dobby make use of the bathroom to get cleaned up and change.

It was late and her eyes were tired from reading and writing, so Mary pulled the lumpy old mattress out from it's hiding spot under her bed and got the extra blanket, making a suitably comfortable bed.

"I'll stay here." Mary sat down on the lumpy mattress. "You take the bed."

"Dobby will not!" Dobby put his balled up fists on his bony hips and his long nose pointed up towards the ceiling. "Mary Potter will stay on her own bed and Dobby will sleep on the floor or Dobby will not stay."

Mary bit her lip to keep from laughing at how the little elf had manipulated her. "Please don't leave, Dobby. I'll take the bed."

Mary stood up and went to her own bed while Dobby laid down. "You are far too kind to Dobby, Mary Potter."

"Good night." Mary replied with a yawn and turned the lamp off, knowing full well that it would be a restless night.

* * *

**July 27th, 1993**

The phone rang, pulling Mary out of her daze. She'd been reading for so long that she'd lost track of time. Barreling out of her room, Mary bent down to grab the staircase top plate and slid across the railing until she could jump off at the end, crashing into the back of the couch. She rolled over the back of it and dove for the phone.

"Hello?" She gasped into the mouthpiece, trying to catch her breath.

" _Mary?"_  Hermione asked quickly.  _"Are you okay?"_

"Yeah," Mary replied, exhausted from the short jog. "Ran for the phone and I'm still out of shape. Imagine Crabbe running from Fluffy."

Hermione snickered quietly.  _"I'm sure you're not that bad off."_

"Feel like it." Mary muttered. "Anyway, what's up? My wardens will be back any minute so I can't talk long."

Still, Hermione barely stopped talking long enough for Mary to get the message across when she heard the car door slam shut. "Sorry, 'Mione. The Dursleys haven't been all that thrilled with me surviving and coming back here, it'd be best not to make them angrier than they already are. I better get to safety before they come unglued."

She heard her best friend sigh loudly on the other end.  _"If you're sure, but please, Mary, write more often."_

"I promise." Mary said quietly. "I've got to go."

" _Bye."_

Mary took the steps two at a time and made it back to her room with barely a moment to spare before the front door opened.

"Marge will arrive on Saturday morning." Uncle Vernon's loud voice echoed up to her room. "I'll be picking her up from the station at ten."

"How wonderful!" Aunt Petunia squealed in delight. "I'll have the guest room ready and get the shopping finished first thing in the morning."

Mary's heart beat loudly in her chest as she closed the door quietly and walked over to her trunk, ignoring Dobby's worried stares. With shaking hands, Mary pulled out the brown journal and flipped through the pages until she found the right one.

It was exactly right. Aunt Marge had arrived on the train on Saturday the thirty first, Harry's thirteenth birthday. Uncle Vernon had picked her and Ripper up at ten in the morning.

"What are the chances?" Mary whispered to herself. "It's got to be a coincidence."

"Is miss okay?" Dobby asked worriedly. "Mary Potter is looking far too pale."

Mary swallowed heavily. "I'm fine, Dobby."

Mary was quiet for the rest of the evening, reflecting on whether or not she should do anything about the dreams. It seemed a little far fetched and crazy that she'd remembered it all so clearly in the first place, but at the same time, it had an air of danger around it. She would just have to take things one step at a time and figure out what to do from then on.

* * *

**July 30th, 1993**

After they ate their breakfast the next morning, Mary and Dobby sat on the floor and played Exploding Snap. Around noon, Mary began gathering things from around her room that she didn't use, or wouldn't need during her stay and carefully packed them in her trunk along with her books and school robes. Dobby's help was invaluable as he was the one that made sure that everything was properly folded to where it would not wrinkle. With a snap of his fingers, he made her school books stack themselves neatly in her trunk where she could easily find them if needed.

Mary held the stack of journals carefully in front of the little elf. "Can you charm these so that only I can open them?"

"Of course Dobby can!" Dobby snapped his fingers and the journals glowed bright blue. "Tap the book with your wand, Mary Potter, and speak a password."

Mary tapped all of the journals and gave each a unique password that pertained to what happened in each one. They stopped glowing and Mary hugged Dobby in thanks, knowing that it would have been difficult to keep them from falling into the wrong hands without the little elf's help. It wouldn't do for anyone to read them. They'd either think she'd gone 'round the bend, or they'd use the information in ways that would make her life even more difficult.

Just before midnight, Mary left her window wide open as she and Dobby sat on the bed playing a game of chess. The game was interrupted moments later by a flock of owls landing on the desk beside them. With a snap of his fingers, Dobby freed them all of their packages and had a plateful of owl treats and a large bowl of water floating in front of them.

"Thank you, Dobby." Mary said as she pulled a book out of her trunk and sat it down on the bed in front of the pile of gifts.

She opened the journal to the bookmarked page and readied herself for the first test of how true her dream was. Mary stared down at the gold wrapped parcel and held the birthday card and newspaper clipping with a shaky hand.

With each gift that turned out to be exactly like the ones Harry had received, Mary's heart dropped further. With each heartfelt letter from her friends that was written exactly as they were in her dream journal, Mary could feel the weight of the future settling on her shoulders, threatening to break her down.

"It wasn't a dream." She whispered as she raised her eyes to see Dobby petting and talking to the drowsy owls. "It's really happening."

"Did you say something to Dobby?" The little elf looked at her with wide happy eyes.

Mary forced the grim expression to leave her face. "Oh no, Dobby. I was just talking to myself."

Dobby smiled brightly at her, his ears flopping as he nodded his head. "Dobby does that too."

Mary leaned back against her pillows, closing her eyes and wondering what else life was going to throw at her.

Sometime during the night, the owls returned to their homes and Hedwig took off to hunt. Mary slept through it all while dreaming about werewolves, Killing Curses and high cold laughter.

* * *

**July 31st, 1993**

The next morning Mary woke up to the smell of bacon frying. Her mouth watered as she rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock that ticked from six fifty-nine to seven. It seemed like no matter how much she slept she still felt exhausted and worn down.

She didn't necessarily want to alert the Dursleys to her presence, but there was no way around it. While visiting, Aunt Marge never left the house and even Uncle Vernon took time off of work. Mary would rather face them now, then to suddenly surprise them during her belligerent Aunt's visit.

After a quick detour to the restroom to take a quick shower and brush her teeth, Mary slowly made her way downstairs. The Dursleys were all sitting at the table as she quietly sat down in her chair and piled food onto her plate. Aunt Petunia sneered at her as she went to reach for a second helping of eggs and Mary smirked back as she grabbed a handful of bacon with her other hand.

"Finally decided to show yourself, eh?" Uncle Vernon sneered at her. "Wanted to ruin my sister's visit with your freakishness?"

"No, Uncle Vernon." Mary put her head down and tried to eat as quickly as possible.

"I don't know what kind of mumbo jumbo you've done, but I won't have it in my home!" Uncle Vernon snarled, slamming the palm of his hand onto the table. "All that noise you've been making and the way that we can't seem to find you. You've been foisted on us, yet you can't even be gracious enough to help out around here. Well, it's going to stop as of today! You are going to do whatever Petunia tells you to do and you'll do it without complaining or you'll be out on your ear and no number of freaks will be able to stop me."

 _I don't plan on staying._  Mary thought snidely.

Halfway through the meal, the newscaster on the telly made Mary's blood run cold.

" _And any sighting of the deranged criminal, Sirius Black, should be reported immediately…."_

Mary dropped the glass of juice she was holding.

"Sirius!" she gasped aloud, ignoring Aunt Petunia's shriek of rage as the orange juice spilled onto the pristine floor.

Without thought, Mary numbly grabbed her plate and stood to take it to the sink while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon yelled at her to come back and clean up the mess she'd made.

"You lousy, ungrateful little…."

"Potter!" Dudley said, distracting Mary long enough to turn and look at the large boy who smirked at her.

Vernon's open palm connected with Mary's temple, making her stumble back in shock. The hit had been hard, but nowhere near what it could have been if Mary hadn't moved with the blow. But still she could feel the warmth of blood trickling down the side of her face where his Smeltings ring had cut into the soft flesh of her temple.

_**BOOM** _

Aunt Petunia screamed and Uncle Vernon lurched back from her in horror. Dudley had wet himself and was standing in the same spot trembling as he watched the cupboard under the stairs being engulfed by blue flames.

" _Finite_ ," Mary pointed her wand at the flames.

Nothing happened.

" _Finite Incantatem._ " she cast again, then let her hand drop to her side in defeat.

The flames stood, but upon further inspection, Mary realized that there was no heat coming from them, nor was anything actually on fire. It was like it was some weird form of illusion. Hermione was right. she really needed to learn some self control. If her accidental magic couldn't even conjure a real fire, she was screwed.

Wand in hand, Mary turned around only to be stopped by an enraged Vernon and a shell-shocked Petunia. Uncle Vernon was huffing and puffing, his face turning from bright red to deep purple.

"Put it out." Uncle Vernon spat as he grabbed her by the throat and shook her violently. "Now."

"I c...an't." Mary choked out. "It was an a...accident."

The front door burst open and Aunt Petunia screamed in outrage as three wizards in light blue robes barged into the room wands out and stopped at the sight of the family.

"What's going on here?" The first said with narrowed eyes, as the other two wizards ran to stop the harmless flames.

"Vernon." Aunt Petunia said fearfully as her eyes darted between the wands, her son, and her husband. "Let her go."

Uncle Vernon released his grip and spun around, purple faced, to address the wizards in his home. "If you're here to take the girl then be off with you and let the lousy little bitch rot in jail!"

Mary looked at Aunt Petunia in challenge, hoping to hear her mother's sister say something in her defense.

"Go." Her aunt ground out. "And never come back."

"Gladly." Mary replied coldly as she moved rigidly past them to go and retrieve her things from upstairs.

She could hear raised voices from downstairs and Uncle Vernon getting louder by the moment while Aunt Petunia's shrill tone was mediating. The front door slammed shut and Uncle Vernon continued to rant and yell. In truth, Mary was shocked that the Ministry Wizards didn't stop to talk to her. They had clearly seen the cause of her magical outburst, but hadn't bothered checking on her at all. But mostly she was glad for their blatant disregard of her well-being. It made it easier not having to explain to them how the Famous Mary Potter was unloved by her Muggle relatives.

It took her a few moments to calm down enough to turn around and face Dobby, who'd all but hid under the bed when she burst into the room.

"I was just thinking that I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible." Mary said in a soft tone, watching with guilt as the small elf climbed out from his hiding spot. "Would you mind going to Diagon Alley in the morning and finding out if they have any rooms?"

Dobby's eyes narrowed at her tone. "At the Leaky Cauldron? Mary Potter would be most welcome there."

"I'll start packing up." Mary kept her hand up to shield the rapidly swelling bruise from his view.

"Dobby will get it." He said happily as he snapped his fingers and caused her meager belongings and new gifts to fly into her trunk. "Dobby will take the trunk with him now if you wish."

"I'd appreciate that." Mary reached into her pocket with her Muggle hand and pulled out a few Galleons. "Make sure any room you get has room for both of us and Hedwig."

Dobby packed up the rest of her things, including her new bedding and the food basket, and after promising to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron, Dobby left with a soft pop.

"Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron, girl. I won't be long." Mary told Hedwig as she placed both of her wands in their holsters.

Mary walked silently down the stairs, hoping to leave without notice, but to her increasing irritation her Aunt and Uncle were waiting for her by the door.

"What do we tell those freaks when they find you've gone, girl?" Uncle Vernon fumed.

"Tell them I'll contact them if I feel the need." Mary replied, in the politest tone she could muster. "As long as you stick to your part of not wanting me back, they'll have no reason to do more."

"What do you mean  _do more_?" Uncle shook his fist. "Are you threatening me?"

"No, Uncle Vernon, I'm promising that if you don't let me go right now, you won't like what will happen." Mary said with her wand at her side.

She gave them one last look and pulled a wrinkled handkerchief out of her pocket to dab at her bleeding lip. Then, without another word, she walked out of Number 4 Privet Drive for the last time.

* * *

Mary stopped at the park in Little Whinging, sitting on the swings and enjoying a ham and cheese sandwich from the deli down the street. It was a rather dark and gloomy day, with a strong wind that occasionally gusted through so harshly that Mary had to shield her eyes from the flying dirt and debris. She knew she could have tested the possibilties the dream opened up and hailed the Knight bus, but she needed so time and peace and quiet to think about what she would do next.

A low keening whine from just the other side of the hedgerow caught her ear and she stood quickly and flicked her wrist to let her wand fall into her hand.

 _Is it just the wind rustling the leaves?_ She thought as she crept forward, quietly as she could so she didn't startle whatever had made the sound. Her heart clutched in her chest because she wasn't sure of what she would find.

She pushed back the hedge and peered past the thick foliage and gasped. Large grayish blue eyes stared at her warily from the face of a big black dog. Mary parted the overgrown hedges to get to him, not caring that twigs and briars pulled at her hair and cut into her bare arms.

 _What if the dream is wrong and he is guilty?_  The idea flitted through her mind and she mentally warred with the thought of helping someone who had betrayed her parents.  _But what if the dream is right and he is innocent? I can't just leave him here._

 _And what if it's just a stray dog?_ The cynical side of her mind pointed out. If that was the case then at least she could do some good by helping him out. Without further delay, Mary pulled herself free of the briars and knelt down in front of the dog.

"Easy there." Mary said gently, holding her hand out palm up for the dog to sniff. "I won't hurt you."

The dog's tail thumped against the ground weakly and kept it's eyes glued to her hand as he sat up on his haunches and leaned his nose into her hand. Then took a step forward to lick her cheek where the bluish yellow bruise throbbed painfully.

"Don't worry about me, now." Mary said, trying to keep the tears at bay. "You're rail thin, old pup."

 _How long has he gone without food? When was the last time he slept or ate a full meal?_  As someone who knew the ins and outs of food and sleep deprivation, Mary could honestly say that it was probably just determination and will power keeping the poor thing alive at that point.

Mary kept her hands visible in case the dog lost rationality and thought that she was a threat. "I have some food and water here if you feel up to trying some?"

The emaciated dog lifted it's head and stared pitifully at her.

"Here." Mary twisted the lid off of the water bottle and held it up to the dog's mouth.

Slowly, the dog moved it's nose toward the bottle, still wary and cautious as she tipped the bottle just enough to let a slow trickle of water flow. The dog lapped it up greedily, and almost seemed insulted by the little amount Mary was letting him drink. But Mary knew that large amounts of food or water when you're that hungry and thirsty, only lead to sickness.

After the poor beast had finished the other half of her sandwich and a few more sips of water, Mary deemed them both as ready as they'd ever be to get somewhere safe to stay for the night.

"I'd like to keep you with me until I know you're better." Mary said as she carefully petted the dog's emaciated back. "Would you mind coming with me?"

Padfoot, as she'd mentally named him, licked Mary's hand and stared up at her with hopeful eyes. That was all it took for Mary to decide that the two of them would go together to Diagon Alley. No matter how it had happened, or  _what_  would happen, there was no way that she could let the skinny animal suffer for a moment longer.

Still, she had to find a way to know whether or not there was more truth to her dreams. If they were true, she had a godfather, actual family, who cared about her. The traitorous rat was somewhere in Egypt with her best mate and pieces of Voldemort's soul were strewn about the country. There was no way that Mary could just let it go. She couldn't let those horrible things happen again. First, she would need more proof that the visions had merit, then - if she had to - she would change the future and make sure that the people she cared about stayed alive and healthy. She briefly thought about telling someone, but quickly squashed that idea. No one could know. Not unless it was an extreme emergency.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	4. The Reluctant Grim

**July 31st, 1993**

**Mary Potter**

It was almost four o'clock when Mary and Padfoot made it into their room at the Leaky Cauldron. The dingy pub was near empty and only a few patrons graced the dark corners, talking in low whispers and staring at the large filthy dog that leaned heavily on her side.

"Will you be wanting the dinner special then?" Tom asked, handing Mary the room key. "It's shepherds pie tonight."

"Yes, please." Mary smiled at the kind bald headed man, her hands gently patting the dog's bony shoulder. "Make that two specials and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. We're both starving."

"Sure thing, Miss Potter." Tom nodded and turned to leave. "I'll have the elves send it up at six sharp."

Mary and Padfoot slowly scaled the staircase that lead to the inn and Mary searched the doors for the right room. She opened door number thirteen with a soft laugh, thinking it was fitting given it was her birthday. It was a large room that was overly warm due to the roaring fire in the hearth. The bed was massive and Dobby'd seen fit to have her trunk set at the foot of the bed and Hedwig's cage ready for her by the small window.

Mary opened the door to the wardrobe and then the door to the en-suite washroom, looking for her friend. "Dobby? Are you here?"

Dobby popped into existence just a foot away from her, making Padfoot lurch back in surprise, a deep warning growl erupting from his throat.

"It's okay." She ruffled the matted fur on his back. "Dobby is a wonderful friend of mine. You can trust him."

"The great Mary Potter has found her a doggie!" Dobby whispered happily, clapping his hands together. "Dobby won't harm Mary Potter's doggie."

Padfoot turned and looked at Mary with a questioning look, if one could say that dogs were capable of such a feet.

Mary motioned Dobby forward and the little elf stuck out his spindly hand for the massive animal to sniff. Once the old pup had approved of her friend he laid down wearily on the rug in front of the fireplace, keeping his large grey eyes on them.

Dobby stared at Mary for a moment and his jaw dropped open in horror. "Someone has hurt young miss! You is bleeding!"

Mary wiped her mouth on her sleeve and felt the fresh layer of dried plasma pull away painfully. "I'm okay. I'll get it cleaned up."

"Was it the nasty Muggles?" Dobby asked in a ferocious but high pitched tone. "Dobby told young miss it wasn't wise to be leaving her room."

Mary put a hand on his thin shoulder. "It's alright, really. Actually I probably won't have to go back and I was wondering if you could run into the Alley and get me some new clothes. McGonagall and I only bought things I'd need for school and I'd rather not wear Dudley's cast-offs all summer."

Dobby's eyes widened and he gazed at her hopefully. "You would trust Dobby with shopping?"

"I'd trust you with my life Dobby." Mary pulled him into a quick hug and winced when he started crying.

Dobby let go of her and dried his eyes and blew his nose on the sleeve of his tiny robes before outstretching his hand. "Give Dobby a list with your sizes and Dobby will pick up your clothes."

Mary sat down at the small desk and wrote down what she needed, along with a small note to Madam Malkin that she had no clue about fashion and only wanted practical Muggle style clothing, footwear, and some decent everyday robes. Dobby took the list like an elf on a mission and popped away with a quick bow and a snap of his fingers.

With pen and paper in hand, Mary jotted out a few short missives to stave off any unnecessary worrying or attention.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_Things at the Dursley's took a turn for the worst. Aunt Petunia kicked me out and told me that I'm not welcome to come back. I wish I could say that I was faultless, but hiding in my room these past couple of weeks seems to have angered them pretty badly._

_I'm currently staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Please don't worry about me. I'm doing just fine. To be honest, it's a great relief to not have to hide all day._

_- **Mary Potter**_

_Dear Hermione,_

_The Dursley's have finally chucked me out! I'll be staying at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the summer! Just think, I'll be able to spend all day in Flourish & Blotts! (Can you hear my sinister laugh?)_

_Send word to Ron. I'm finally getting a real summer holiday!_

_Love,_

_**\- Mary.** _

"Think you can deliver both of these?" Mary held the letters up to Hedwig. "McGonagall's first though. We don't want her sending out a search party."

The owl looked at Mary reproachfully when she tied the letter to her leg and gave her a swat with her wing, as though offended that Mary had even asked, then took off into the humid mid-summer air.

"I'll be going into the Alley for supplies." Mary told the old dog. "Maybe I can find a dog groomer."

Padfoot sneezed loudly.

"Well, I'll be going by the apothecary anyway." Mary pulled the last few items out of the trunk and laid them out on the bed. "We both need some potions."

"It's a good thing my dear old Head of House Professor Snape has given all of his dear Slytherins lessons in hygiene." Mary said in attempt to get a reaction out of her dogfather.

It worked flawlessly. Two furry black ears perked up and one went back as the dog cocked it's head to the side.

"I'm almost out of my Sleak-Eazy's Oiliest Oil." Mary sighed and ran a hand through her straight hair, trying to channel Draco Malfoy's snobby attitude.

The dog sneezed again and continued staring at the girl.

"Well I usually don't use it when I'm at the Muggles." Mary said defensively and put her hands on her hips. "Seems they can't handle my charismatic charm when I'm all greased up. I dearly wish I was a Pureblood. Their secret societies have the best themed parties."

"Oh no, I'm in desperate need of a manicure." The dog Animagus let out a low whine and put it's head on the floor as Mary examined her dirty nails. "By the looks of it you could use one too. You need a name by the way."

Padfoot looked up with hopeful eyes and his tail thumped loudly against the floor as the girl leaned down and rubbed behind his ears.

"Snuggles seems perfect." The dog peered at the girl in horror. "You stay here and get some sleep, ol' Snuggly Wuggly, and when I get back you're getting the bestest bubble bath ever."

Padfoot's eyes widened at the tone of Mary's voice as she said the cutesy name and let out another small whine. Mary hoped beyond hope that her dream was right and that she could trust the Animagus.

* * *

**Sirius Black**

Said Animagus was shocked and appalled at the way the daughter of his best friend was speaking. Hell, Wormtail and everything else would have to wait. If his goddaughter was taking hygiene lessons from Snape of all people, something was terribly and irrevocably wrong.

He watched as his goddaughter ran her palm over the large bruise on her face and winced as she poked at the split lip. She sighed loudly then dug her fingers into her dark hair and let out an aggravated groan.

"No use in putting it off." Dropping her wand on the bed, she grabbed a cloak from her trunk, stopping briefly to pet him lightly on the head, before walking out the door. "Be good, Snuggles."

Padfoot carefully and quietly walked over to the bed and put his muzzle on the edge of the mattress and stared at the wand that had been casually tossed there without a care. He knew he wouldn't have another opportunity like this and picked up the slender wand, carefully avoiding scraping it against his sharp teeth.

With one last glance at the locked door, Padfoot slipped into the en suite bathroom and kicked the door shut with his back paw before spitting the wand out on the floor.

A split second later, a bedraggled and weather beaten man stood in the dog's place. He snatched the wand off the floor and shot a spell at the mirror that froze it as it was, so that it would neither be able to see or talk to him and remained as normal as a Muggle mirror.

It took far longer than he'd liked to cut his hair, shower and shave, but by the time he'd finished, and was as clean as he could possibly be while still wearing his magically freshened Azkaban uniform, Mary and her elf friend had still not returned to the room.

Sirius removed the spell from the mirror and quickly transformed back into the far more comfortable form of Padfoot and put the wand back where he had found it on the bed. As he curled up beside the still roaring fire, he made a wish to anyone listening that things would work out for the best, even though life had taught him that such things rarely worked out the way you wanted them to.

He had been horrified when Mary had found him in the hedges, blood dripping from her swollen and bruised face. He could smell the pain radiating from her. It wasn't physical pain, it was a bone deep sense of resignation and loneliness that Sirius knew all too well. His goddaughter needed him. He wondered how she had ended up all the way out in the Muggle suburbs. The questions poured from his mind, but he had no way to get answers.

He awoke some time later to the smell of delicious food permeating the air around him. He opened his eyes slowly and yawned widely before standing on all four paws and stretching.

"Thought this feast might wake you up." Mary said softly as she patted her leg to call him over to the tiny table where she and Dobby sat. "I hope you don't mind potions before dinner. A nice witch at the Menagerie suggested some wonderful tonics that get rid of fleas, lice and other parasites you might have picked up."

Padfoot stopped in his tracks and mentally grimaced at the thought of having to ingest nasty potions in his current form. But Mary didn't look to be joking as she pulled three vials and what looked like a turkey baster off the table.

"You can have a nice meal after this," She held up her hands in a peaceful but determined gesture. "Shepherd's pie and a small plate of sausages if you don't give me any fuss."

Padfoot sat down in front of her and watched as her brow furrowed while she ran a hand down his no longer matted and reasonably clean fur coat. The side of her face was covered in Bruise Balm, if his nose could be trusted, and her breath smelt like a heavy dose of pain relieving potions.

"All nice and clean. Tom's elves must have got to you." She said in a far away tone, then shook her head, and grabbed a vial. "Open up then."

Three long tortuous minutes later, Padfoot had been dosed with some of the nastiest tasting potions he had ever been subjected to. While technically he knew that they were needed if he was to fully recover, he still didn't have the strength to hold back the canine part of himself that wanted to pout like a toddler.

Mary, of course, ignored his rather rude behavior and patted his head while grabbing a plate of warm food off the table and setting it on the short stool in front of him. "Eat up, Snuggly."

He let out another short woof of horror before he slowly and methodically set into devouring his meal. It was quite possibly the best thing he had ever tasted, or at least to his poor memory, that was what it seemed like.

The sound of soft snores caught his attention and he picked up his head to see Mary asleep at the table, her meal barely touched. The elf snapped his fingers and she floated over to the bed where the covers pulled themselves back and she was settled into the middle of the bed and tucked in with a small swipe of the elf's hand.

Bulbous green eyes turned to stare at Padfoot and he sat there, stock still, as the small creature peered at him with a shrewd gaze. "Dobby is knowing that you aren't just a doggie, but young miss trusts you and that is being more than enough for Dobby."

Another snap of the elf's finger's and Padfoot leaped back in surprise and almost yelped when Mary's leftover portion of food appeared on his plate. "Eat your dinner and get some rest, doggie."

The elf went about the room cleaning silently as Padfoot polished off the second plate of food. He was wary of the little creature, not knowing if he could trust it to keep his secret, but when he jumped up on the bed, he realized that Mary's wand was no longer there and he had no choice but to accept that his fate was now in the hands of another. He laid down close to her feet and curled up in a ball as the elf snuffed out the lamps and torches, letting the light of the small fire paint the room in a soft orange glow as the three slept peacefully.

* * *

**August 1st, 1993**

**Mary Potter**

Breakfast arrived at eight sharp the next morning. Still groggy, Mary lifted her head and groaned when she realized the bruise salve had basically glued her cheek to her pillow. With a firm tug, the pillow landed back on the bed and her cheek stung, having just had a fresh layer of skin removed.

Dobby shook his head at her and snapped his fingers, sending the tub of salve onto the bed, while the spindly elf pulled back the curtains. Mary winced at the blinding bright light that poured in and was emulated by the large black dog that promptly rolled over and buried his face under the stack of unused pillows.

Unable to ignore the wafting smell of bacon and eggs, Mary rushed through her morning routine and made it out of the toilet in record time. Yet again, Dobby sent the tub of Bruise Balm onto the table.

"Use it, Mary Potter." Dobby ordered her. "You is in pain and it will not heal without ointment."

A hurried knock on the door sent Mary from graciously accepting the salve, to looking from Dobby to Padfoot with fearful eyes. "Both of you, hide in the bathroom." She picked up her father's cloak and pressed it into Dobby's arms. "Don't come out until I tell you it's safe."

After wiping her sweaty palms on her robes, Mary opened the door, only to see Professor McGonagall staring at her in horror. "Professor?"

"You're hurt." The older woman hissed, carefully pressing a finger to the yellow bruise. "I swear that Muggle oaf will pay."

"I'm okay, Professor." Mary ducked her head and turned so that the elder woman was no longer staring at her battered face. "Come on in."

"Potter." McGonagall started, walking into the room and sitting down at the small table. "Go ahead and eat, child. I didn't mean to disrupt your meal."

Instead, Mary walked to the fireplace and ordered tea from Tom through the Floo, which arrived on the oak table before she could sit down. McGonagall didn't even ask as she poured two cupfuls and pushed one towards Mary.

"Tell me what happened." McGonagall whispered in a quiet tone. "Why did you leave your relatives?"

Mary couldn't meet her professor's pain filled eyes, but knew that she couldn't let her go on with assuming the worst. "It was my own fault. They seemed to not know I was there, so I just let them think that. I only went to the loo when I knew they were asleep and only left the room to shower and use the telephone when Aunt Petunia and Dudley were out and Uncle Vernon was at work."

Mary took a gulp of the scalding tea and swallowed it. "Yesterday morning I heard them talking about my Uncle's upcoming vacation time, and knew that there was no way to hide in my room round the clock with all of them home. Plus, Vernon's dreadful sister Marge was set to arrive yesterday, and I couldn't be there for that. She hates me as much as they do and she doesn't even know about magic. So I decided that it'd be best to make my presence known, that way I could at least use the loo when I needed it. It all went downhill from there. I'd made a mess and Aunt Petunia started screaming. The cupboard burst into flames, and then she said she didn't want me to come back."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "The Department of Magical Catastrophe workers said that when they walked in your Uncle had you pinned to the wall by the throat and that your face was swollen. I may not be a Healer but I do know a fresh bruise when I see it. So tell me. Did he hit you?"

Mary closed her eyes and dug her hands into her hair. "He was angry."

McGonagall pushed herself back until her spine hit the back of the chair. "You will never go back there, child. What concerns me now is that you have no suitable place to stay. Believe me, I'd bring you back with me to Hogwarts at once, if it was allowed, but the governors have a strict policy on non-staff members residing there during the holidays."

Mary's heart swelled with gratitude at the older woman's kindness, but shook her head. "I'm fine here for the summer, Professor. Tom is already making sure that I get regular meals, and I've already promised to owl you if I need to."

McGonagall, in an uncharacteristic gesture, reached forward and grasped Mary's hand. "I'll be contacting the Weasleys and the Grangers about hosting you for future holidays, but I will have you know that my door is always open to you. If we can't find a family that will suit your needs, I will stay with you myself."

McGonagall stood and brushed off her robes. "I have a friend who's an Auror. His name is Alastor Moody and he and his apprentice have been assigned to watch over the Alley. If you have any issues, owl me or go straight to him. He will help you."

"I'll do just that." Mary nodded. "Thank you, professor."

She remained seated and counted to twenty after the door clicked shut, then jumped up and opened the bathroom door, letting Dobby and Padfoot out. "It's safe. I'm sorry I had to hide you like that, but I didn't want to alarm McGonagall and have her asking all kinds of questions."

* * *

**Minerva McGonagall**

McGonagall Floo'ed back to her quarters in the castle and sat heavily at the oak desk. It was unbearable to think that the young girl had been harmed by her own relatives. While abuse wasn't unheard of in the magical world, it tended to be more emotional in nature than physical. And each time she heard of a new case, it made her heart ache just as fiercely. This particular case struck even closer to home, as she'd been there when baby Mary was left on the Dursley's doorstep. She'd been in shock and grief, and hadn't done enough to fight against Albus' wishes. It was on her that this had happened, as she hadn't bothered checking up on the girl and trusted every update the headmaster gave her.

With that in mind she stood and stepped back into fireplace. "Dumbledore's office."

Minerva stepped out and brushed the soot off of her tartan robes and stopped in her tracks. Dumbledore sat behind his desk with his hands folded in front of him, while Severus leaned forward, glaring at the man from his seat.

"What's going on, Albus?" She asked the elderly wizard. "Has something happened?"

"He sent me to Surrey last night." Snape answered coldly. "I was tasked with finding a way to get the Muggles to accept the girl back into their home so the wards could be rebuilt."

"No." Minerva hissed. "She will not return to them as long as I have breath in my body. That Muggle man hit her with enough force to bruise half her face and nearly strangled her to death! She'll go back over my cold dead body!"

"Oh," Severus shook his head and looked up at her with a piercing onyx gaze. "That wasn't the least of what they've done. The fat Muggle boy was quite up front with his boasting. He seemed quite proud that he'd lived a life of relative luxury while the girl lived in the cupboard under the stairs. He was quite glad to have her out of the house and get his 'second bedroom' back. She was the family house elf, given no love, very little food and too many chores. Not to mention far too many punishments for things like making good grades and accidental magic." He turned to Dumbledore in disgust. "You of all people know that I do not care for the girl! She has been the bane of my existence ever since she was born, but I would never wish that treatment on a child! No matter who her parents were!"

"I was unaware that things were so difficult for her." Albus answered them both, looking both immensely guilt ridden and brokenhearted. "I knew that she was given little, and not loved in the way I'd hoped she'd be, but I truly did not know the extent of it. In as much as I didn't think her predicament was reason enough to forgo the security she gained by the Blood Wards."

"You were aiming to raise a Savior." Snape told the headmaster in a cold tone, waving his hand over the basin full of swirling dark memories. "These are all of the ingredients needed in making the next Dark Lord, or Lady."

Snape leaned back suddenly. "I see now. That's why you went to such great lengths to-"

Dumbledore held up a hand to cut him off, looking up at the two of them in resolve. "Mary will stay in Diagon Alley for the rest of the holiday. We will work out the issue of her guardianship when the next term ends."

"But, Albus," Minerva started, but was interrupted when the elder wizard held up his hand once more.

"She cannot reside in the castle." Dumbledore stated calmly. "The school charter will not abide it."

"There must be something we can do." Minerva pleaded with him, her heart aching at the thought of the child alone and without a proper family. "The Weasleys would gladly take her in."

"I will speak to them." Dumbledore smiled slightly.

Minerva didn't like the shine in his eyes and stood up and squared her shoulders. "As will I. Molly will not let the child go without a home."

* * *

**August 1st – 25th, 1993**

**Mary Potter**

The next few weeks flew by in a haze of activity. Mary had spent her days force feeding Padfoot nutritive and healing potions, and it had paid off as the dog had begun to gain a healthy amount of weight and each night she dosed him with enough Dreamless Sleep to keep the horrors of Azkaban from interrupting his rest.

Mary also caught up on years worth of reading. The manager of Flourish and Blotts now knew her by name and had a smile on his face each time she walked in the door, knowing that she would buy more books each day. Padfoot stayed in their room during these trips and Mary knew that he would take the opportunity to get cleaned up. So she was always sure to leave her old Holly wand where he could easily find it.

Aurors could be found patrolling the Alley at random times during the following days and Mary had even met a few and knew them by name. They were always kind to her and she even got Auror Moody, who was soon to be retiring, let Trainee Tonks sit down and have ice cream at Fortescue's with her.

Trainee Tonks also tried to teach her a spell that would summon only things that she wanted to her, but considering Tonks almost sent a picnic table through a store window, Mary figured she'd have to figure it out for herself.

Auror Moody took it upon himself to berate Mary for the improper way she held her arm and there - in a small side alley next to the ice cream shop - he made Mary fling stunning spells at his apprentice until he was sure Mary had mastered the spell.

"Never let an enemy catch you unawares." Moody growled at her. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

A young woman at the next table startled so badly that she upset her bowl of ice cream. She scowled deeply at the three of them and left, muttering loudly about arrogant Aurors.

A few times, Mary had cautiously ventured into the Muggle world to purchase things that she couldn't find in the Alley, like a new properly fitting pair of trainers and some ink pens and notebooks with real paper. Padfoot enjoyed joining her on these little adventures and didn't seem to mind the collar and leash she forced him to wear when they went out. Mary's worry was that he'd be thought of as a stray and would end up being taken to the pound had she foregone the fashionable neck wear. Padfoot only gawked at the flowery pattern on both the collar and leash in complete doggy horror before submitting and letting her strap the hideous thing around his neck. Mary would have felt guilty about it, but each time she pulled out the collar it reminded her that underneath the fur and piercing blue eyes was someone who cared for her. He wasn't a dog. Part of her secretly wished he would transform and tell her the truth and when that never happened, she fell a little piece of her heart break.

Maybe she was losing her mind after all.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	5. The Traitorous Rat

**Mary Potter**

The morning of August 26th finally rolled around and Mary was practically skipping around her room as she got ready to greet the Weasleys; who had just returned from Egypt the night before. She placed both of her wands in their arm holsters and donned a light green cloak over her casual Muggle clothes while Dobby sat at the little table sewing a quilt that he had started earlier that week.

"Keep an eye on Snuggles for me, Dobby." She requested, more for the benefit of the dog that she didn't want out and about today. "I'll probably be out late with the Weasleys."

Dobby nodded his head, making his ears flap wildly. "Dobby will make sure your doggie behaves."

Mary scratched Padfoot behind the ears, trying to dampen down her already frayed nerves. "Be good, Snuggly."

Padfoot huffed and curled back up on the rug, giving Dobby a rather irritated look as Mary shut the door. She hated the fact that she still hadn't let Sirius know that she knew about his true identity, but honestly, revealing that would have been dangerous for both of them. As it was, she had resigned herself to make sure that she had proof of Sirius's innocence. The only way to obtain that proof, was to get a hold of Scabbers and find out if he was really Wormtail. And if that happened, she still wasn't sure what she needed to do after that.

"Mary!" Ron yelled as he exited the Floo and walked up to her, pulling her into a quick hug. "You're taller!"

"Yeah." She laughed quietly. "The long nap seems to have triggered a growth spurt."

Hermione was next, not giving Ron a chance to move before she tackled Mary into a bone crushing hug. "We were so worried about you! I'm so sorry I couldn't come visit sooner, but my parents had that vacation planned since last summer and I honestly didn't know when you'd be waking up."

Mary patted her lightly on the back. "I'm fine, 'Mione. Summer started a little rough, but it's become loads better."

They were joined by the rest of the Weasley family who seemed just as thrilled to see her as she was them. The Weasley parents in particular seemed to treat her differently, as though she was made of glass and might break at any time. Ginny barely spoke and looked haunted each time Mary tried to talk to her. Mary hoped that she wasn't suffering from the after effects of the diary, but knew that recovering from such a horrific event would take time.

"Come along, dears." Mrs. Weasley wiped her eyes again. "Let's get your supplies before the shops get too full."

It was a bit late for that though. Every parent and student in Britain appeared to have chosen that day to get ready for the upcoming term and it was difficult to walk through the Alley without being pushed or shoved.

While on the way to the Magical Menagerie, Mary was forced to hold Scabbers while Ron dug through his pockets to find his money. Bile rose in her throat as she looked down and saw the missing toe on the rat's foot.

Wormtail's nose twitched as he sniffed her hand and tensed in her grasp. Mary clutched him tightly with both hands, not wanting him to get away and trying frantically to think of something she could do to reveal who he really was. Wormtail bit down hard on the soft flesh of her palm just above her thumb joint. Instinct kicked in and she immediately released her grip, letting the rat fall hard to the cobblestone path.

"Scabbers!" Ron cried out in abject horror at what his pet had done.

Scabbers took off running into the nearest alley, not stopping or slowing down no matter how much Ron called for him. Mary, being the fastest of the lot, was close on the rat's heels, skidding around a corner and barely avoided colliding with an old overturned table.

 _No!_  She thought desperately.  _He can't get away. I have to save Sirius!_

A solid brick wall loomed over head, showing her that they were surely in a dead ended street. Her eyes scoured the area looking for a sign of where the rodent had hid, but came up empty. No rodents. No people. Only her and stacks of empty crates and a broken down cart.

_I've lost my only chance._

A fat hand grasped her neck and she was pulled back roughly by a man with a raspy voice that squeaked when he breathed. "Don't move, Mary. I don't  _want_  to hurt you. Just tell me where Black is. I know you've been near him, you reek of dog."

Mary felt the sharp blade of a knife touching her neck and fought down the urge to swallow. How could she have been so stupid as to just let Wormtail run free? She should have stunned him and turned him in to the Aurors the second she had him in her hands. But she had desperately hoped that the dream wasn't true. She had let fate decide the path she took and once again she was left in far more danger than she could have ever realized.

Footsteps echoed loudly on the stone path and she didn't have to wait very long before Ron and the rest of the Weasleys came into view. Mrs. Weasley gasped and pulled the younger children closer to herself as Mr. Weasley whispered something to the twins and both took off running the way they came.

"Tell them to go away." Wormtail breathed into her ear as he held her tighter.

Mary lifted her hands up to stop them from coming closer. "I'm fine, Ron. Just stay back."

"You let her go!" Ron yelled out, trying to fight his way out of his mother's grasp.

"Leave her alone!" Hermione echoed him at the same time.

Mr. Weasley held up his hands, showing that he was unarmed, and spoke softly. "Tell us what you want. There is no need to harm the girl."

"What I want!" Wormtail squeaked loudly. "What  _I_  want!"

Mary dropped her hands to her sides and stood there on the tips of her toes, trying to avoid letting her neck sit too heavily on the blade. The Weasley's and Hermione's interruption had given Mary the distraction she needed and while Wormtail's attention was focused on them, she had called her wand to her hand and pointed it behind her back while still hiding it beneath her cloak.

 _Stupefy._  She closed her eyes and thought.  _Stupefy. Stupefy. "STUPEFY!"_

The knife dragged against her pale skin as Wormtail's body crumpled to the ground.

"Mary!" Hermione shrieked loudly and tackled Mary into a hug that threatened to make her eyes pop out.

Mary's whole body felt wound up and tense. Her legs shaking slightly from exertion and she leaned heavily on her friend. Ron and Ginny were close behind the bushy haired girl and joined the hug before Mrs. Weasley broke it up.

"Back off you three." Mrs. Weasley said firmly, pulling Mary gently out of their grasp. "She's got a nasty cut on that neck that needs seen to."

Mary wadded up the extra fabric of her sleeve and pressed it to the side of her neck and held it there while Mrs. Weasley guided her over to a empty crate and forced her to sit just as Fred and George arrived with Auror Moody, Trainee Tonks, Amelia Bones, and her niece Susan.

"Mary!" Susan cried, rushing forward and stopping just in front of the dark haired girl. "Oh Merlin, you're hurt!"

"I'm fine." Mary tried to smile reassuringly.

"Don't worry." Susan whispered to her. "Auntie's Head of the DMLE. She won't let anything else happen to you."

Over the next quarter of an hour, Mary watched as they poked, prodded and cast spells on the stunned man. She answered most of the Auror's questions honestly, but there were just a few that she embellished on just a bit more.

"Did the man identify himself?" Madam Bones asked as Tonks held her quill and parchment ready.

Mary played with a loose string on her sleeve. "He said he was Peter Pettigrew, an old friend of my parents."

"Did he say anything else?" Madam Bones asked in a disbelieving tone. "Anything at all?"

"He said that I should have died instead of his master." Mary whispered, her throat tightening at the outright lie. "He said that it would have all been perfect if Black hadn't got in his way."

Mary could see the Aurors sending each other confused looks as they tried to make sense of why Pettigrew was suddenly back amongst the living.

Madam Bones patted Mary's shoulder gently. "We'll be taking him into custody, Miss Potter. Don't worry, we'll find out the truth."

Mary swallowed heavily and stood up to stare the older woman in the eye. "I'm going with you. He attacked me, but claimed to be a friend of my parents. I want to be there when he's questioned, ma'am."

"You're far too young for that." Mrs. Weasley interrupted and put her arm around Mary.

Madam Bones gave Mary a shrewd searching looking and pursed her lips. "As an eye witness, your testimony will be very beneficial to the case."

"I'll follow you, Madam Bones." Mary answered resolutely, as she gently extracted herself from Mrs. Weasley's grasp.

Tonks and Moody took Pettigrew via Portkey to the Ministry while Madam Bones, Susan and Mary followed by Floo. The Ministry was in chaos when the entered the lobby. People were standing around talking to each other in low whispers and were casting glances over their shoulders to where the Auror offices were.

"Wait in my office, Susan." Madam Bones said in a stern tone to her bewildered niece. "I'll be in as soon as I can."

Mary waved at the red haired girl as Madam Bones led her toward the lift. "Where are we going, ma'am?"

Bones looked down at her with kind grey eyes. "The interrogation rooms are housed in the lower levels of the Ministry. It'd be best to prepare yourself for the presence of Dementors, but given how short of notice we've had, I'd say that we don't have to worry about them."

"How is all of this happening so quickly?" Mary voiced her thought as she watched people frantically scuttling around carrying stacks of paperwork and boxes labeled 'EVIDENCE'.

"The DMLE has spent a large amount of money trying to track down Black and figure out how he escaped from Azkaban." Madam Bones answered her quickly but quietly. "It will save us far more in the long run if we can find out the truth today. Between you and I, the longer we wait, the current administration may just decide to sweep Pettigrew's trial under the rug in order to avoid a public scandal."

"If he's found innocent, will Black be freed?" Mary asked after a second of hesitation.

"That depends on Pettigrew's testimony." Madam Bones replied in a hard tone.

Mary suppressed a shudder at the thought of the dark cloaked creatures that she only remembered from Harry's memories and sincerely hoped that she wouldn't have to face one given how shaken she felt just standing beside the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. It was almost surreal to remember just how scared Harry had felt when he had his Use of Underage Magic trial at this very place and a shot of sympathy ran through her at just how little support he had while he was there.

The cold stone walls felt like they were closing in around her as the two got off the lift and made their way through the crowded hallway that led to Courtroom 11. Her bones ached the closer they came and Madam Bones looked down when the rattling of Mary's teeth echoed throughout the hall.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potter." Madam Bones flicked her wand and whispered the Patronus Charm.

The small silver raven flew through the air in front of them casting a warm white glow on the dark walls and eased Mary's tension enough to where she could take a deep breath without succumbing to a panic attack.

She had been so focused on the Patronus that she had completely ignored her surroundings and ended up running smack into a small fat man the stood in front of the heavy metal doors to the courtroom.

"Mary Potter!" Cornelius Fudge grasped her arm and steadied her before she tumbled backwards. "Bad news we have today. Terrible business."

Mary found her footing quickly and nodded to him in thanks while she shook her head and looked at the spot just to the right of his head. "I have full confidence that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Ministry will do all in their power to make this right."

"Of course, dear girl," Fudge said jovially, but his hand shook as he pulled the door open for them. "The Ministry would never fail in their standards for justice."

Mary nodded sharply and followed Madam Bones into the room and into the stands where Madam Bones found her a seat beside her own. Mary felt immediately grateful to the elder witch.

* * *

The trial itself took less than two hours and Mary felt like she had been pulled through a laundry ringer when she finally Floo'ed back to the Leaky Cauldron that evening with an advance copy of the Daily Prophet clutched tightly in her hand.

"Mary!" Ron yelled as he and the twins spotted her and ran forward to greet her. "What happened? They wouldn't tell Dad anything! We've been waiting for hours!"

Mary let them pull her to her seat where she sat heavily and scraped her hands against her cheeks just as Tom set down a plateful of fresh pot roast in front of her. She smiled tiredly up at him in thanks and took a gulp of her pumpkin juice.

"Pettigrew, or Scabbers, as you know him," the Weasley's all gasped in shock. "Was sentenced to life in Azkaban for being a servant of Voldemort, causing the death of twelve Muggles, betraying the secret of my parent's whereabouts, being an unregistered Animagus, and attempted kidnapping."

Mary took a deep breath and looked up at the eight faces that stared at her in bewilderment and continued. "Sirius Black has been found innocent and pardoned of all charges."

Mary took a large bite of her food while her companions digested this news, then pushed her plate away as her stomach churned, her nerves getting the better of her.

"Are you not hungry, dear?" Mrs. Weasley said worriedly, breaking the tense silence.

Mary picked up her plate and glass of juice. "I'll have Tom send it up to my room, ma'am. I'm exhausted."

"Finish your meal, dear." Mrs. Weasley pleaded as though she didn't want Mary out of her sight.

Mary looked at her blood caked robes and back to the Weasley matron with a tired glance. "I'd kind of like to get cleaned up and then go to bed, ma'am."

"Would you like to come back to the Burrow with us?" Mrs Weasley asked her quickly. "We'd love to have you."

"I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Weasley, but Madam Bones asked that I stay put until everything is sorted out." Mary answered her honestly. "I'll send you an owl as soon as I know more."

Mrs. Weasley stood and grabbed the plate and glass from Mary's hands. "I'll have Tom send them up. You go ahead. Don't worry about the others. Take care of yourself and we'll see you soon, dear."

Mary gave a parting nod and smile to the other Weasleys and avoided Hermione's fidgeting gaze, knowing that the other girl would demand answers and explanations no matter how tired and wrung out Mary felt.

Mary walked into her room and shut and locked the door behind her, leaning against it's frame and sliding down until she hit the floor. Padfoot crept up to her and licked her face in greeting then sat back on his haunches to stare at her.

"Been a long day, Snuggly." She chuckled softly and patted his head. "A man named Peter Pettigrew tried to kidnap me in the Alley. The Aurors interrogated and arrested him. Come to find out, he was a friend of my parents' and was also the one that betrayed them to Voldemort."

The dog whined softly and laid down beside her.

Mary ran her hand over the soft black fur. "Why can't I just have a normal life, Snuggles? A family of my own and a calm peaceful year at school? Is that too much to ask for?"

Padfoot let out a loud sigh and sneezed.

Mary patted his head once more and stood on shaky legs. "I'm going to get cleaned up, then I'm passing out. It's been a long day."

But when Mary exited the restroom a half an hour later, Padfoot was nowhere in sight, the room was empty other than a snoring Dobby and dozing Hedwig. Mary let out a shaky breath and collapsed face first onto her bed, forgetting her dinner completely as she fell into a deep and restless sleep full of memories that were not her own.

* * *

**Sirius Black**

Sirius listened to Mary's story in abstract horror. It made him sick too think that Wormtail had been that close to her. While he was excited and thrilled to know that the traitor had been caught and arrested for his crimes, in the same sense, it rankled that he didn't get the kind of justice that the rat deserved.

Exoneration was a prospect that he hadn't even considered, but as he watched his goddaughter tear up at the mention of a family of her own, he felt that he would finally be able to do something right by James and Lily. It was true that they had named him godfather to Mary, but he never had the chance after he had been taken to Azkaban. Now it was full well a possibility. He never should have gone after Peter in the first place. He'd been there at the house, holding Mary in his arms and grieving over his friends when Hagrid arrived. Had he done what James and Lily expected of him, Mary never would have had to grow up unloved and without a family of her own. It wasn't a mistake he had the opportunity to correct, but he very well could make sure that she had a happy life from there on out.

The moment the bathroom door shut, Sirius transformed and used Mary's wand a last time to cast a short term Disillusionment charm on himself. He gave one look at the closed door and hoped that the next time he saw Mary, that he'd be greeting her as a free man.

The door clicked shut behind him and he walked down the stairs with a heavy heart and hopeful determination. He could get through this. He knew he would be able to handle anything the Ministry threw at him as long as he could get back to her. They would find a way to make up for the years they had lost. He could provide the family that James wanted her to have, or at least he hoped he could, but if nothing else, he would keep her safe.

The Ministry was empty when he Floo'ed into the Atrium, but it was for the best as the charm he had placed to disguise himself had worn off halfway through the trip. He made his ways to the Auror offices with a knot in his throat and on legs that seemed to move of their on accord. Through the thin pane of glass, he could see Amelia Bones sitting at her desk with her head down as she read through a stack of paperwork. Alastor Moody sat to her left, tapping his foot as he leaned forward and said something that she quickly jotted down. The older Auror's magical eye spun in it's socket and focused on Sirius who stood just outside the door.

The door opened on it's own and Sirius walked in as Moody and Bones both stood and took out their wands.

"I'm here to turn myself in." Sirius held up his hands to show them he was unarmed.

"Took you long enough." Moody grumbled and waved his wand over Sirius, proving that the escapee was telling the truth.

"Mr. Black." Amelia nodded - as soon as Alastor had given her the okay - and spoke to Sirius in a no nonsense tone. "We have orders to take you directly to St. Mungo's for a health evaluation. Whilst there you will be questioned about the night of October thirty first, of the year nineteen eighty one, and what occurred between yourself and one Peter Pettigrew. Once your Healer has cleared you, we will return here. There are some papers that you need to look over and sign."

Sirius nodded and grasped the Portkey that Moody and Bones had their hands on. "I've been ready for a proper questioning for twelve years. Don't keep me waiting, Amy."

The witch blushed slighty, turning her face as Moody stomped his cane on the ground. "You're Black, alright. Never came across another person who could flirt at the worst of times."

Sirius outstretched his arms. "What can I say? I've got it. Charm and all."

* * *

The next two days were spent being poked and prodded by numerous Healers while Aurors questioned him about everything from what he ate for breakfast to why he had shown up at the Potter's house just after Voldemort's death. They forced him to consume potion after potion while they tested everything from his blood to whether or not he was truly an Animagus as Pettigrew claimed he was.

"You're free to go, Mr. Black." Healer Pye said kindly, handing him a brown quill. "This will take you back to the Auror Department where they need you."

Sirius nodded and grabbed the Portkey. He landed gracefully just outside the door to Madam Bones' office and knocked lightly on the frame. She looked up from her paperwork and waved a hand, opening the door.

"The Healers finally let you go, aye?" Moody growled from the corner of the room, where he sat with his prosthetic leg sitting a few feet away.

Sirius chuckled lightly. "I think they ran out of potions to feed me. That and the nurses were getting tired of my complaining."

"You always did like to whinge." Moody grunted.

"Have a seat, Black." Amelia gestured him toward the chairs across from herself. "Read through these and make sure that everything is up to snuff and to your liking."

He took the stack of parchment from her with steady hands and carefully read through them. To his own surprise, he had not only been acquitted of all wrong doing, but he'd been given an Order of Merlin: Third Class for his heroic actions in trying to take down a criminal. Not only that, but he'd been compensated for double his annual salary as an Auror for the entirety of his stay at Azkaban, along with a stipulation that covered his time in St. Mungo's.

While being the only heir to the oldest and richest family in Wizarding Britain, Sirius still almost choked at the number of Galleons. Sirius signed the parchment with the proffered quill, a lump still stuck in his throat.

"Any chance we can get you back on the team?" Moody asked, staring at Sirius with shrewd eyes.

"I'll have to think about it." Sirius let out a long sigh then turned to face Amelia. "Are there any papers for me to sign to confirm my guardianship of Mary?"

Amelia gave him a long hard look before passing him another piece of heavy parchment labeled: Department of Wizarding Child Services. "Are you sure you're capable of caring for a child?"

Sirius back at her with a narrowed gaze. "I would have been taking care of her all these years if I'd have been given a trial in the first place."

He ignored her sharp glare as he signed the papers and dropped them on her desk. "If that's all?"

Madam Bones pulled a box out of the drawer of her desk and opened it to reveal a thin mahogany wand. He could feel it calling to him and twitched his hand and watched in awe and joy as it floated straight into his outstretched hand. Bright silver and red sparks burst from the wand and Sirius let out a bark like laugh then took a step for the door and looked over his shoulder to address the two one more time.

"Send an owl if you need me." Sirius opened the door and walked out with his head held high and a smile plastered on his face. "I've got shit to do."

The clock had barely struck eight when Sirius walked himself into Twilfitt and Tattings. The young woman at the door didn't recognize him and almost seemed to to disregard him completely when he asked for an entire wardrobe fitting. But the moment he pulled out a blank bank draft, she was all too eager to take down his measurements and suggest the most popular Wizard and Muggle styles. He ordered far too much of both and only picked a single dark grey robe off the rack to wear that day. The rest would be sent to the Leaky Cauldron when they were ready.

As Sirius walked by the old junk shop across from Ollivander's a sign in the window caught his eye.

**Flat for Lease**

**Inquire Within**

Sirius pulled the door open and navigated through row upon row of useless junk to get to the desk where an ancient man was sleeping with his head on the desk.

Sirius cleared his throat and the man looked up at him startled. "Apologies, sir. What can I help you with?"

"I saw the sign in the window about the flat for lease." Sirius answered kindly.

The elderly wizard reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brass key. "The stairs are around the side of the building. Bring the key back and let me know if you're interested."

Sirius could hear the snoring start up again before he even made it to the door. To say that he was surprised when he opened the door to the flat was an understatement. It was far larger than he imagined. The hard wood floors were highly polished and the cream colored walls looked like they had been recently painted. The large wooden beams were in open view of the vaulted ceiling where skylights let plenty of natural light into the open room. The entire place was completely furnished, even a small closet with extra linens was across the hall from the smaller of the two washrooms. The three bedrooms weren't large or fancy, but they would be more than enough for him and Mary, if she decided to accept his offer to live with him.

Sirius locked the door as he exited the flat and went straight back into the store where – surprisingly – the old wizard sat with his head bent over a large scroll of parchment.

"I'll take it." Sirius said proudly and pulled another bank draft out of his pocket. "How much for a five year lease?"

The man wrote the amount down on the parchment and slid the scroll over to Sirius, who wrote the amount onto the bank draft and signed his name at the bottom of the lease.

"Lucky for you, I had just put up the sign after my elf finished cleaning this morning." He said with a shaky voice. "Haven't been upstairs since my wife passed away."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sirius replied in sympathy.

The man nodded and tapped the scroll with his wand. "I've sent a copy of the lease with your bank draft. The goblins will have it on hand if you need it."

The man waved his wand and another brass key landed on the desk. "A spare if you need it, Mr. Black."

"Good day, sir." Sirius said in confusion as the man gave no sign of knowing who he was.

Sirius went back to his new flat and unshrunk and unpacked his purchases as quickly as he could into the wardrobe in the middle bedroom. If she chose, he would give Mary her pick of the other two rooms. Sirius dressed in his best new clothes, hoping to make an impression on his goddaughter. He hoped she would see him as the Uncle she should have had and not the man who'd left her just to get revenge.

"You can do this." Sirius told himself as he walked into the Leaky Cauldron and ignored the stares and gasps as people gawked at him over the tops of their copies of the Daily Prophet where his picture and Wormtail's took up the front cover.

He took the stairs two at a time, but faltered when he reached the door. What should he say? What would she say?

Mary opened her door and stared up at him with wide tear stained eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Mary." Sirius smiled at her and tried to quell the urge to hug her. "My name is Sirius Black."

"I know, sir." She said quietly and pointed to the paper that was on the bed. "I read about you in the Prophet."

Sirius grimaced. "I'm your godfather, Mary. There's no need to call me 'sir' I'm not that old."

Mary let out a small chuckle. "Come in, please."

Sirius walked into the room where he had spent the past month, but it felt odd to be here in the open in his normal form. "This may come as a shock to you, but I don't want to start off with secrets."

Mary looked up at him with a narrowed gaze that painfully reminded Sirius of Lily. "Secrets?"

"I'm an Animagus." Sirius said with a sigh. "A dog Animagus. You've been looking after me for the past month."

"Really?" The girl quirked an eyebrow and stared at him stonily.

Sirius sighed and quickly transformed into Padfoot.

Padfoot was shocked when the young girl tackled him into a big hug. "You're Snuggles! Oh, I'd thought you'd ran away! I've been so worried about you!"

Sirius' brow furrowed and pursed his lips as he transformed and patted the girl on the back while he tried to figure out why she wasn't ranting and raving at him in horror or anger. With a mental shrug he hugged her back and let his hands fall to his sides when she pulled away.

"I've been pardoned by the Ministry." Sirius stated proudly. "You can say no, if you like, it won't hurt my feelings, but I've just rented out a flat in the Alley and was hoping you'd come and stay with me for the rest of the summer."

"Until I go back to Hogwarts?" Mary asked hopefully.

"Until you're as old and grey as I am, if you'd like." Sirius smiled playfully.

Mary scoffed. "You're not that old."

"How about it, kid?" Sirius pressed, trying not to let himself get too excited. "You can pick whatever room you like."

Mary's brow furrowed in thought, before she looked back to the small room she was in. "Give me five minutes to pack."

Sirius laughed and sat down in the chair by the door, wondering if Mary was just desperately wanting a guardian or if she was slightly mentally unbalanced for agreeing to live with him after just a short chat. Either way, he hoped that he would be able to help.

Mary stopped packing and looked at Sirius with pleading eyes. "Can Dobby and Hedwig stay with us?"

"Of course!" Sirius said. "They're both welcome. It'll be your home too, so no more of this asking nonsense. Unless you want a cat. I'll warn you now that most can't stand me."

"Agreed." Mary laughed quietly. "Dobby?"

The little elf appeared with a pop, took one look at Sirius and bowed lowly. "Mary Potter's doggie has returned. Dobby told young Miss not to worry."

"I should have listened to you, Dobby." Mary replied. "We're packing up and moving in with Sirius."

Dobby snapped his fingers and everything that belonged to Mary flew into the trunk. The lid clicked shut and the trunk shrunk itself to the size of a matchbox. Dobby picked it up and handed it to Mary.

"Call Dobby and he will come to your new home, Mary Potter." Dobby disappeared with a soft pop.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Mary didn't know if she had made a mistake by accepting Sirius's offer so quickly, but she had a good feeling that everything would work out for the best. There was something about it all that just felt right. Like she had finally found a place where she truly belonged with someone who really cared about her and wasn't focused on who she was supposed to become. It was shocking to think that she'd gone from basically homeless, living at a hotel with her fugitive dogfather, to moving into an flat that would be her own.

Mary and Sirius together drew a large amount of attention as they walked straight though Diagon Alley. People stopped and stared. They whispered and gossiped to each other. Women either looked at Sirius in disdain or blushed profusely. Sirius ignored all of it, nearly skipping as he whistled a happy tune.

Mary shook her head, wondering if things would go well with them living together. The Junk shop wasn't impressive in the least. Given that Sirius was a bit snobbish in his actions, Mar'd suspected the poshest flat in London, not an obscure looking doorway to nowhere above a place that was lucky to see a few customers a year. So to say she was shocked at the flat itself was an understatement. It's openness and brightly lit rooms felt more like home than the Dursleys' ever had. With Dobby's help, Mary was unpacked within an hour and made her own bed with the Gryffindor set that Professor McGonagall sent her.

Sirius walked into the room and stood beside her as she looked around her room proudly. With a flick of his wand, he changed the white hangings on the bed to a rich gold color.

"You need posters!" Sirius said suddenly, then looked at the stacks of books on the floor by the bed. "A desk and shelves would also come in handy for you, pup."

"Dobby will get them!" The little elf jumped up and down. "Dobby will go to the market and get food for dinner too!"

"That'll be great, Dobby." Mary looked at the elf and knew that she had created a little shop-a-holic. "Sirius and I will go get the posters, if you don't mind the rest."

Sirius pulled a small bag of coins from his pocket and handed them to Dobby. "Get three of everything you think will fit. We'll put a set in each room."

Dobby nodded like an elf on a mission and disappeared.

"It's a good thing he loves shopping." Mary shook her head in amusement. "I only enjoy it when it's to buy things I like. I have no luck with buying clothes and such."

"I hope you've got a better eye for art than I do." Sirius said in a grave tone. "Your mother used to claim that being a dog had made me color blind."

"Is that why you're wearing girly robes?" Mary asked with a smirk.

Sirius looked down at his robes and his mouth opened in horror. His navy robes were now a horrendous shade of fuchsia with a bright yellow bouquet of daisies embroidered on the front.

"What?!" Sirius yelped and started removing the spell from his robes.

Mary fell back onto the couch, howling in laughter as each time he tried to remove the charm, the colors would change into something even more ridiculous.

"I thought we were going to buy posters." Sirius pouted and dropped his arms to his sides.

Mary rolled her eyes, and finally – after three tries - removed the spell. "Come on Snuggly. Let's go."

"Padfoot!" Sirius yelled as Mary ran out the door and down the stairs. "My doggie name is Padfoot! Not Snuggles!"

Sirius was acting like a little kid as he ran through the aisles of Gambol and Japes, pulling things down from the shelves and squealing in glee. Mary laughed, trying not to drop the armful of posters she held. It was seriously the most fun she'd ever had. She couldn't remember laughing so much in her entire life. If this was what life with Sirius would be life, she wouldn't ever complain about it.

"We'll need one these!" Sirius said gleefully, holding up a magical camera. "Maybe two! We can send pictures back and forth while you're at school! Oh, look! Glow in the dark solar system ceiling charms! They make your ceiling look like the night sky! Two more of those. Exploding Snap cards! Do you have a set? I'll still get two sets, always good to have a back up."

"We're going to miss dinner." Mary told him in mock reproach. "Dobby said he was cooking for us tonight."

"Food, yes." Sirius said in a dazed tone as he gazed around the store.

Mary pulled the items from his arms and set them on the counter in front of a small witch that looked at Sirius with narrowed eyes. Mary glared at her until she turned her sights away from Sirius and started ringing up their purchases. Sirius shrunk the bags and Mary stuffed them into her pockets and grabbing Sirius' arm and pulling him out of the store and toward their new flat.

Her heart swelled with pride, pulling out the little brass key that Sirius gave her and sticking it into the lock, while Sirius rambled on about the new things that had been invented in the pranking business over the past twelve years.

"Dobby, were home!" Mary yelled as they walked into the sitting room.

All Mary could see was the top of the little elf's head as he ran back and forth behind the tall counter. "Dinner is being ready and on the table. Dobby is just cleaning up."

"Come sit down, Dobby." Sirius called out as he helped Mary unshrink the packages and set them on the couch. "We'll help you clean up after dinner."

Dobby rounded the corner and looked from Mary to Sirius with wide eyes. "You are wanting Dobby to be sitting with you?"

"Well why the hell not?" Sirius asked happily. "You're part of this ragtag family now."

"Family." Dobby whispered, echoing Mary's own thoughts. "Dobby has always wanted a family he can be proud of."

The three sat down and dug into a mouth watering meal of fried chicken, potatoes, and steamed fresh vegetables.

"I could kiss you, Dobby." Sirius said with a mouthful of food. "This is delicious."

"I agree." Mary got a second helping of vegetables. "About the deliciousness of the meal, not that Sirius should kiss you."

Dobby chuckled and shook his head so hard that his ears batted his eyes. "Dobby loves to cook. Dobby will cook all the meals you want."

"Think you can handle Snuggly all on your own while I'm at Hogwarts?" Mary asked Dobby.

Sirius dropped his fork, flinging potatoes onto the front of his robes. "It's Padfoot! PADFOOT! Not  _Snuggly!_ "

Dobby shot Mary a wry smirk. "Dobby can handle Snuggly. As long as there is no kissing."

Mary leaned forward slightly and stared at Sirius straight in the eyes and pointed her knife at him. "Don't think I won't be here in a snap second if you act up."

Sirius leaned forward toward her. "Is that a challenge, pup?"

"It's a promise." Mary chucked darkly.

Sirius leaned back in shock. "You look just like your mother when you do that. Fucking scary."

"I've always wondered," Mary said curiously. "How did I get my name?"

Sirius choked on his food and spent the next minute alternating between coughing and quaffing down large amounts of Butterbeer. "Funny story, really. We were raised in the sixties and seventies, so I can't exactly be held accountable for my part in it. To be honest, right up until you were born your parents thought they were having a boy. Your nursery was all in blue and all of your clothes were little Quidditch robes that your dad picked out. They had a name already picked out too; Harry James Potter."

It was Mary's turn to choke on her meal, but Sirius was kind enough to wait until she regained her composure to continue.

"Well, poor old Lils burst into tears when the Healer declared you a girl. Your mum was blubbering loudly about how she didn't know what to name you." Sirius leaned forward slightly. "Note that she was a little loopy from potions. Your father was trying to comfort her and so the Healer passed you to me. Yeah, I was the first person to hold you. You were just lying there, healthy as could be, and staring up at me quietly. While your parents were getting their act together, I started humming a song to you and rocking you back and forth. You passed out like you'd been hit with a stunning spell!"

"What happened next?" Mary laughed and leaned back, loving hearing about her parents and godfather.

"Well," Sirius said wistfully. "Your mother's best friends in Gryffindor were Mary MacDonald and Marlene McKinnon. So your mother picked the name Mary to honor them both. Your dad wanted your middle name to be James or Jamie, but your mum wouldn't hear of it. She said that every Evans woman in her family had been named after a plant or flower, so deemed Mary Jane perfect. I – like I said we were disco kids – of course, thought the name was genius. James agreed wholeheartedly, which is why you sit here today, Mary Jane Potter."

Mary's gaping mouth snapped shut with a loud click. "Wow."

Sirius leaned back and rubbed his stomach, then let out a loud belch. "Yep. You should have seen the look on Alice Longbottom's face – her son Neville was born just hours before you – when she visited Lily and heard your name. She started calling you 'Kid Cannabis'."

Mary almost didn't hear the last part, as she was mentally checking another fact from the dream. She hadn't known that she and Neville almost shared a birthday, but Harry had.

Sirius yawned widely. "Let's see to those posters. Then I'm going to hit the hay."

"As long as you're not hitting the pipe." Mary sighed as she stood up and carried their plates to the kitchen. "Or smoking the hay."

Sirius stood and gave her a stern look. "This flat is a no judging zone, pup. So no judging."

Mary laughed. "If you say so, Snuggly."

Sirius growled and went to help her wash the dishes and finish cleaning the kitchen while Dobby, who had picked the tiny attic as his bedroom, went to put away the picture frames that Mary had bought for him. Once everything was in pristine condition, Mary followed a sleepy Sirius into the hallway.

"I'm beat." She told him honestly. "How about we finish decorating tomorrow?"

"I second the motion." He put his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. "Night, kid."

"Night Snuggly." She chuckled as she closed her door, leaving her godfather fuming loudly in the hallway.

The moment her door shut, all thoughts of sleep fled her mind as she took in her room. The bare bookshelves and desk sat there, waiting to be filled, and the walls looked far too normal for her taste. She spent the next five hours, organizing her books, setting up her desk and using the magical version of sticky putty to attach her posters to her wall. Next she went through her trunk and had to decide what she wanted to take and what could be left. It was a surreal moment, as Mary had never had the opportunity to completely unpack before. She had basically lived out of her trunk since she was accepted to Hogwarts, but now she actually had the option to leave things behind and know that they wouldn't disappear while she was gone. She unpacked everything other than what she would need to take to school. This was her home now. And she'd be damned if anything short of death would drag her from it.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	6. The Lonely Werewolfe

**September 1st**

**Mary Potter**

Over the last few days, Mary and Sirius learned more and more about each other. Mary told Sirius the short and innocent version of her first two years at Hogwarts and Sirius told her about all seven of his. Mary hadn't slept a wink, and Sirius had joined her in insomnia as he regaled her with tales of the Marauders and their accomplishments at school and after.

Ron and Hermione were both at the Burrow, and they barraged her with owls asking how she was, wanting details of what happened after Madame Bones dragged her away. Mary answered as best as she could, only withholding information that wasn't hers to disclose.

From Ron he learned that his parents had been appalled by the fact that Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew. Mrs. Weasley was on the warpath against Dumbledore, wanting the headmaster to find a way to stop Sirius from being her guardian and to let them adopt Mary. While Mary loved the Weasleys, she couldn't ever see herself feeling at home and fully accepted by their family. Especially now that she'd learned more about Sirius. He was her godfather, and in all rights, the closest to having her own father back as she could get.

From Hermione, she learned that her friend had bought herself a familiar. A photo was enclosed in her most recent letter, showing Hermione holding a bandy legged orange cat with a squashed face. Mary mentally dubbed the cat 'Crooky Parkinson', after the pug nosed arrogant look on the cat's face, even though Hermione had clearly said she named him Crookshanks.

For Mary though, she simply relished in spending time with Sirius, Dobby and Hedwig. It was the best summer she'd ever had.

Sirius and Mary didn't venture into the Alley again until the morning of September first.

It was a somber walk to the Leaky Cauldron at eight o'clock in the morning. Mary's trunk was shrunk and in one pocket, while her charmed book-bag – with her school uniform and robes - was in the other.

"Make plans for what you want for Christmas dinner." Sirius told her in a quiet tone. "I'll pick you up from the station for break. And think about where you might want to go over the summer. Anywhere in the world, I don't mind."

Mary stopped in her tracks and looked up at him with sad eyes and a heavy heart. "I'm going to miss you."

Sirius pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you, kiddo. I'd keep you here if I could, but Hogwarts is a wonderful place to be. Spend time with your friends and pull a few pranks. I'll be there at any time if you need me."

"Promise?" Mary asked doubtfully.

"I promise." Sirius replied with a determined air. "Oh! I almost forgot."

He pulled a mirror out of his pocket and Mary's eyes widened at the sight of it. "This was your father's. I found it in my Gringott's vault the other day. We used to use it to talk to each other when we had detention in different parts of the school. Just say my name and we'll be able to talk whenever you want."

Mary hugged Sirius again and carefully took the mirror. "Thank you."

"Come on, kid." Sirius pulled her back onto the path. "The Weasleys are probably waiting for you."

The Weasleys were exiting the Floo as Mary and Sirius walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs. Weasley looked at Sirius with a blazing glare that would have scared a basilisk, but Sirius seemed unfazed as he put his arm around Mary and led them toward Hermione and the red haired family.

"Mary!" Hermione and Ron both tackled her into a hug, followed by the twins and Ginny.

Mary pulled away and shook Percy's hand then hugged both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before going back to stand beside her godfather.

"Everyone," Mary said loudly. "This is my godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius, this is the Weasley family and Hermione, of course."

"Mary speaks highly of all of you." Sirius said kindly, despite the elder Weasley's distrustful looks.

"Mr. Black." Hermione stepped forward and extended her hand.

"None of that." Sirius said playfully as he gently shook her hand. "I'm just Sirius."

"But never really serious." Mary shook her head as she finished the pun for her godfather. "Don't get him started, 'Mione."

Hermione let out a small chuckle as she saw the happy look on Mary's face. "It's wonderful to meet you."

"I'm honored to meet the smartest witch of the age." Sirius bowed gracefully. "Hopefully you and Ron can keep my goddaughter from getting herself into any more dangerous situations."

"We're not that talented." Hermione joked as Mary growled at her playfully.

"Full time job, that." Ron rocked back on his heels and held out a hand to Sirius. "I'm Ron."

"Come along, children." Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "We have to get to the station. It will take us a while to find a car at this hour."

"I've hired a Muggle shuttle bus, Mrs. Weasley." Sirius told her as he moved to the door and opened it for them

Mary, Ron and Hermione walked together beside Sirius and followed the others out into Muggle London where a large black van waited for them. Sirius opened up the double doors and began shrinking trunks, and Percy's owl cage.

"Just tap them with your wand when you want them back to size." He instructed them.

Sirius sat up front with the driver, while the Trio sat in the seat behind them. The Weasley parents, and Percy sat in the third row of seats, while the twins and Ginny sat in the very back.

"Why couldn't you have charmed a Muggle car of this kind?" Mary heard Mrs. Weasley whisper to Mr. Weasley. "We can all fit in this with room to spare, and it's only a normal Muggle car."

"I'll look into it, Molly dear." Mr. Weasley said as Sirius shut the doors.

"King's Cross, good sir." Sirius told the driver, handing him a small stack of cash. "Make it snappy."

The trip was far less dangerous than the Knight Bus, and no one was either sick or injured when they arrived at King's Cross Station some twenty minutes later. Sirius once again, held the doors open for them and let the driver go about his day, leaving them on their own. As it was half-past ten, the platform was filled to the brim with students and their parents.

"You best go find yourself a good seat." Sirius put his arm around Mary and kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you at Christmas."

Mary hugged him tightly and closed her eyes. "Take care of yourself. Look after Dobby for me."

"You know I will." Sirius chuckled and pulled away to grasp her shoulders and look into her eyes. "I'm proud of you, kiddo. Now go have some fun."

Mary let out a small chuckle and forced her burning eyes from crying. "Bye, Siri."

"Be good, pup." He wiped his face with his sleeve. "Got smoke in my eyes. Damn train."

Mary bit her lip and gave him one last hug before rejoining her friends. She took a deep breath and hooked her arms with Ron and Hermione as they walked through the train looking for a free compartment.

"Sirius seems like a cool bloke." Ron said as they walked from car to car. "Looks far better than he did in the papers."

"Well I assume he was hospitalized for a bit." Hermione replied in a whisper as they passed a group of giggling Hufflepuff girls. "I've read that Azkaban is well known for sending most of the prisoners mad before their sentence is over."

"This ones mostly free." Ron pulled open a door and Hermione followed him into the compartment. "Dad always looked a mess when he'd be sent out to Azkaban for work. Mum would spend hours trying to get him to snap out of it."

"It must be a horrible fate." Hermione sat down and carefully adjusted Crookshanks' basket on her lap.

Mary looked over to see what Ron had meant by 'mostly' and had to rub her tired eyes to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating. In the corner of the compartment, a man snored softly with his head resting on the window pane. His heavily patched robes and grayish brown hair was exactly like her dream and Mary made another mental note to document this the second she was alone.

Hermione looked over at the man and back at Mary with a regretful look that said that had he not been in the compartment she would have interrogated Mary into spilling every secret of her summer. Ron looked far more comfortable with the silence and took out his chess set to start a game for him and Mary.

Mary's eyes seemed to grow heavier and heavier with each passing hour and not long after the torrential rain started beating the roof of the train, Mary leaned her face against the window and closed her eyes. Sleep pulled her in and Mary was helpless to resist it.

What felt like moments later, Mary fell to the floor of the compartment as the train lurched to a sudden stop. She opened her eyes to be surrounded in inky darkness, getting shoved and pushed as though she was crammed into a car with too many people. Something heavy landed on her head and Mary had to restrain herself from cursing as she felt for the lump on her poor battered skull.

"Lumos." A quiet voice sounded across from her as the spell lit up the area, making Mary see the reddish glow of light through her closed eyelids. "Are you alright?"

Tired and worried amber eyes peered down at her, leaving Mary at a loss for words. She stared unabashed as the one and only Remus Lupin stood in front of her, looking younger than Mary remembered from her dream. Remus flinched sharply as though he had been struck and looked away with a pained expression.

"Just some minor brain damage, sir." She winced as she stupidly poked the sore spot again.

"Do not leave the cabin." Remus instructed, quietly opening the sliding door. "I'm just going to have a word with the conductor."

"'kay." Mary sighed, allowing Ron to help her back into her seat.

"Stay." Remus intoned with a heavy sigh as he backed away and disappeared into the darkness.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked from across the compartment, breaking the awkward silence.

Before anyone could reply an intense and unbearable cold began to creep in as the light faded out, shrouding them all in darkness once more. Mary could hear Hermione and Ron shivering even over the sound of her own teeth chattering. Hermione whimpered and grasped Mary's shoulder as a rattling sound that she hoped to never hear in real life crept closer to the compartment door. Crookshanks yowled and dug her claws into Hermione's thigh causing her to let out a small scream of pain as the cat tried to get away from the danger that it sensed.

The door swung open and a rush of icy air assaulted them. The creature moved with lightning speed as it swooped down in front of her. It's cold slimy hand gripped her by the throat and lifted her off her feet. Mary kicked out at it, not hindering it at all, as it's putrid breath wafted towards her. The images that the thing pulled up began to fly by, shifting from one to another, starting with her own paltry upbringing, then moving to the horrors of the war that had yet to come to pass.

_The other children laughed at her baggy clothes and scar on the first day of kindergarten._

_Aunt Petunia screaming at her that she was a waste of space._

_Dudley punching her in the ribs when his parents failed to relinquish his second bedroom._

_Hermione's screams as the troll waved it's club over her head._

_Ron falling from the back of Professor McGonagall's giant chess knight._

_Voldemort's taunts as he stared at her from the back of Quirrel's head._

_Hermione's petrified form lying in the hospital bed._

_Ginny's still lifeless body lying alone in the Chamber of Secrets._

Then the images shifted from downright scary to boneshaking grief.

_Cedric Diggory's dead eyes staring up at Harry accusingly._

_Sirius's laughter stopping as shock took over and he fell backwards into the Veil of Death._

_The gut wrenching guilt as Harry forced his mentor to drink the poison in the cave._

_Dumbledore falling lifelessly from the Astronomy tower._

_Hedwig launching herself into the path of a curse to save Harry._

_Alastor Moody's Eye staring at Harry from Umbridge's office door._

_Dobby, Lavender, Fred, Tonks, Remus, Colin, Snape._

Mary lost all sense of time and space, drowning in the onslaught of lifeless eyes, still bodies, bravery, blood, death and destruction. Never realizing that her mother's last screams were mixed with those of herself and her horrified friends.

* * *

**Remus Lupin**

For the first time in twelve years he felt a sense of purpose. But more so, feigning sleep in the small compartment across from his late friend's only child, were his feelings of fear and insecurity.

Remus knew from the moment Professor Dumbledore stepped into his shabby little flat, that he was only being offered the Defense teacher position because of his former friendship with the traitor Sirius Black. Still he was grateful for the opportunity. After all, he hadn't had a steady job in the Magical world in years, opting to spend his time in small shops and curios throughout Muggle London. And now here he was, getting the chance to teach young witches and wizards at one of the best schools in the world. It would have been a joyous occasion had he not just heard the news of Black's escape.

It'd taken Remus nearly three days of incoherent rage to finally dampen his desire to chase down and murder the bastard. And all he felt now was overwhelming guilt. Guilt because even he had not questioned whether or not his former friend was the real traitor. Then the Prophet was covered in pictures of Sirius and Peter, the former had been cleared of all charges and found completely innocent. Guilt had nearly overwhelmed the werewolf. He had spent so long hating Sirius and blaming him for the death of his friends only to find that Peter – one of those he mourned for – was actually the one that was guilty.

He'd wanted nothing more than to find Sirius and apologize for believing the worst of him and leaving him to the horrible fate of Azkaban, but he didn't have the courage to face him after all of the years that separated them.

Tiredly rubbing his hand over his face, Remus sighed and did the only thing he could think of to curb his dark thoughts; he got back to the task at hand.

The guards of Azkaban had no right to stop the train. According to the Prophet they should have been back at Azkaban, not running around unleashing their power on innocent school children. So as he made his way to the conductor's platform - his Patronus lighting the way - he forced all thoughts of former and past friendships out of his mind.

His sensitive ears prickled at the sound of children screaming, making him turn and run back the way he came. His pace picked up and passed compartment after compartment where students had poked their heads out of the doors and peered toward where the commotion was coming from. The gut wrenching feeling that something was terribly wrong threatened to overwhelm him as he set his sights on the last compartment.

Glass shattered and the screams stopped momentarily as Remus skidded to a halt outside of the last compartment that held his pseudo niece. He ran through the open doorway and skidded to a halt at the sight that met his eyes. Fear gripped him and he was powerless to move or speak as the horror played out before him.

It happened before he could even blink.

Mary was dragged out of the tiny window by one of the horrid creatures. It's skeletal hands clutched tightly around her tiny neck as it carelessly pulled her back, across the broken glass, and out of the train.

Remus could already smell the blood. It moved fast, flying effortlessly as though the girl weighed nothing, high into the dark cloudy sky. And then it stopped, hundreds of feet in the air, floating lazily, as swarms of the creatures circled around them and the one embracing Mary pulled back it's hood and leaned in closer to his face.

A small ball of light floated in front of the Dementor as the others screeched and backed away.

Hermione Granger - a bushy haired third year - screamed, breaking him from his frozen state. The worn man rushed back out and into the hall, running as fast as his legs would take him, until he reached the end of the train car. He stood, leaning against the railing and holding his wand out, as he tried to focus on where Mary was. Even with his enhanced sight, by now he could barely tell the difference between the Dementor and the young girl it was holding. He closed his eyes and summoned all of his magical strength as he whispered the charm that he hoped would free her from the evil beast's clutches.

" _ACCIO MARY POTTER_!" he screamed out, his voice reverberating in the cold and still night.

Her body lurched away from the thing holding her and the Dementor was forced to let her go. She sped through the air as though she had been thrown at him. He braced himself for the impact and was rewarded by being knocked off his feet by the tiny child. Her body crushed into his and he tried to maneuver himself to shield her, but was unable to keep her from further injury. Mary's head slammed into the corner of the train car with a sickening crack.

"Mary!" He shouted in panic as he righted himself, cradling the girl to his chest. "Come on, wake up!"

She had no pulse. Her hands and face were covered in a thin layer of ice. Her blue lips were slightly parted, blooding trickling from the side of her mouth. Fear gripped his heart just thinking that someone else he loved was going to leave him through death. But he refused to let her go without a fight. She was the last link he had to his friends. The only living remainder of how good his life had once been.

He couldn't let her die.

He wouldn't fail her again.

" _Ennervate!"_  he cast again, his wand to her chest.

* * *

**Albus Dumbledore**

Dumbledore stared down at the sword on his desk. The rubies embedded in the hilt glinted and resembled a shimmering liquid as the fire light reflected off the smooth surface of the stones. He traced his hand down the ancient blade and could feel the hum of Olde Magicke in it. How fitting that the sword of legends had ended up in the hands of such a young and remarkable child. And even more ironic that the young Gryffindor girl had wielded it to defeat the monster of Salazar Slytherin's lair.

Albus knew that he was many things in life, but overall, he tried not to be dishonest. After their home had been broken into, his old friend Nicholas Flamel had called in a favor and asked that Dumbledore guard the prized Philosopher's Stone. He had quickly agreed, fearing for the safety of his friends, and worried about what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands. It was a powerful substance, capable of bringing someone back from the brink of death, keeping them young and healthy for as long as they drank it. And so he had requested that Nicholas hide the stone in his Gringotts vault until he had a safer place arranged.

Dumbledore had known from that fateful Halloween in 1981, that not all of Voldemort died that night. He also knew that the self proclaimed dark lord would stop at nothing to regain his power. So Albus had done everything he could to prevent it, all the while knowing that it was inevitable.

It was true that in young Mary's first year, he knew that Quirrell had succumbed to the lures of the dark arts and had somehow come into contact with Voldemort. It had been there in the stuttering man's thoughts when he returned to that school from Albania to renew his contract as Defense professor. He had expected the cowardly man to try and steal the Stone and take it to his master. He knew that there was a chance that Quirrell posed a threat to the girl, but hoped that he could protect her. He had been overconfident in his own abilities and at great cost.

He ran his finger along the center of the ancient sword feeling the strength of the metal and the hum of the magic within it. It was the same magic that he had imbedded into the silver cuff that wrapped around young Mary Potter's arm. He had designed it in two parts. The upper part of the cuff would absorb any magic that would make it stronger, the lower part would nullify any magic within her hand and arm. Together they had saved the girl from a painful death. But that wasn't the only thing it did. Young Mary's holly wand was the brother wand to Tom Riddle's yew wand. er inability to use it against him would make her weaker. It wouldn't be able to protect her in the way it was meant to. And while he told himself that this was just a caveat of her ailment, he also knew that there was a very dire need for the girl to not come out of that fight. Revulsion coiled within him at the thought of what he'd done, at what he'd made her to be. Severus was right, he'd raised her to become the Savior of the Wizarding World and the girl had played her part beautifully as she went through every task he'd set before her and come out on top. Only he knew that when it came down to that fateful day, she wouldn't be the one to be victorious.

Opening the locked drawer of his desk, he once again pulled out Tom Riddle's diary, running his aged fingers over the cover and knowing that the same malevolent magic that flowed through it was gone, but another piece existed out there, biding it's time until it brought about a second dark war. So as the headmaster sat behind his desk, feeling the weight of the past and the mistakes he'd made, he felt once again at a loss.

Fawkes trilled quietly from his perch, stretching his wings before resettling himself.

Every year since he had been teaching, Dumbledore had always looked forward to the students returning from the summer holidays. The castle felt empty and far too quiet while they were gone. Albus breathed deeply as he felt the castle hum with anticipation of the new and returning students.

The paperweight on his desk chimed, signaling that there were visitors at the door. The names glowed on the enchanted scroll below it, showing that his Heads of House had arrived for the yearly start of term meeting.

With a wave of his hand the door opened and the four walked in, but just as they made their way to their usual seats, two high pitched whistles sounded throughout the room and then faded away.

"Headmaster!" McGonagall started as he swept past her to examine the small lion shaped device that sat on the shelf.

He turned to address his confused staff members, but before words could escape him, Fawkes trilled loudly and disappeared from his perch in a pillar of flames.

"The train's under attack. Minerva, Severus," he ordered, "make contact with the conductor and find out where they are. I fear that something has happened. Filius, Pomona, please wait at the station, the students may need you when they arrive. I'll be there shortly."

Without further prompting, they left the office. Albus went to the fireplace and fire called Madam Pomfrey and quickly informed her to ready the infirmary for possible injured students.

With sure and quick steps he dashed from his office and to the doors where Severus was waiting.

"Headmaster," the young man's eyes blazed with a large amount of fear and trepidation. "Rogue Dementors boarded the train. A student has been Kissed."

Minerva rounded the corner with a quill in her outstretched hand. "Grab hold, we have less than a minute before the Portkey activates."

Albus placed a finger on the feather at the same time as Severus. He met the worried eyes of both of his Professors and with a magical tug and a whirl of scenery they landed on the roof of the quickly moving train. Minerva lurched forward, caught off balance, and Severus grabbed hold of her arm to steady her. Albus could hear the screams of the children in the train cars below him as they carefully maneuvered towards the ladders that would take them to where the students were.

"Come on!" A gravelly voice growled out. " _Rennervate_."

"Lupin!" Severus hissed as he looked over the edge of the last compartment.

Albus wasted no time and Apparated down to the tiny platform and immediately crouched to inspect the Dementor's victim. Sightless green eyes stared up at him, causing his heart to clench painfully. Remus didn't even seem to notice his presence as he cradled the girl in his arms and pointed his wand at her chest.

Albus' hand shot out quick as lightning - despite his old age - and grasped the younger man's hand before he could voice the spell. Remus looked up at him with shocked, tear filled eyes that glowed with the nearness of the full moon.

"Let me try, Remus." He said gently as he placed his hand on young Mary's neck.

The pulse was faint and weak, but it was there, even though it was rapidly fading away. "Minerva," he called out. "Stay here and see to the students. Severus, bring the Portkey, we need to get to the hospital wing."

Severus, Lupin and Dumbledore all grasped the quill as it activated once more, pulling them and a very out of sorts Mary Potter back to Hogwarts.

* * *

**Severus Snape**

It'd been a very long day. Severus had endured the stupidity of hundreds of children trying their damnedest to blow up his classroom, trying both his patience and his wards. He had modified a permanent cheering potion and inadvertently invented another mind restorative potion that could possibly negate the effects of Dementors. And now he was standing at the bedside of Mary Potter, the spawn of his former best friend and his late arch enemy.

If he had any sense he would have claimed the girl a lost cause and let the wands fall where they may.

But he owed  _her_  far too much to let her child die in such a hellish fate. Lily deserved better. It wasn't her fault that the child looked just like her arrogant father. It wasn't Lily's fault that her daughter had all the self preservation of a flobberworm. Still, day after day, it made it difficult to see the child who was living proof of his own failures and mistakes. He hated the sight of her. He hated being in her presence. He despised seeing those bright green eyes watching and judging him. But for Lily's sake, he would keep his oath and make sure that she was safe.

So while he watched the school matron sniff, test, measure out and dose the young Potter with his latest concoction, he could not help but hope that maybe he would get some sort of redemption for his part in the girl's recovery.

 _If_ she recovered.

According to that damned wolf, the girl had been unresponsive for close to half an hour before they arrived and she had yet to show any signs of cognitive or brain function. That was a very large percentage that claimed that the girl would be a vegetable for the rest of her short life. It would certainly make his job easier. But he knew that he was never so fortunate in life to be given the easy way out.

Madam Pomfrey took a step back from the bed and brushed her hands over her skirts as though trying to erase the non existent wrinkles as she stared down at the still small child on the bed in front of her. Severus stood up, wand at the ready to run another set of test. The spell was on the tip of his tongue, but an odd choked sound broke his concentration.

Madam Pomfrey rushed forward, conjuring a glass of water and pushing it into the girl's face as she tried to sit up. She pushed the matron's hand aside as she choked and coughed again, her face red and screwed up with an indefinable expression.

"I..infirmary." The girl rasped out with a wan smile.

"Miss Potter." Madam Pomfrey said softly as she handed her the glass of water. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been Avada'ed again." She choked out and rubbed a hand across her chest.

"This isn't a time for theatrics, Potter." Snape sneered down at her. "And speaking of such curses is both inappropriate and obscene. Madame Pomfrey is simply trying to gauge your mental faculties."

The girl's eyes widen in shock as she winced and looked up at the matron."Is he a ghost now? Oh shite he's here to haunt me!"

" _Professor Snape_ has made the potion that has reversed the foul effects of the Dementors." Madam Pomfrey sent a look at Snape that Mary couldn't decipher in her addled state. "Do you remember the Dementors, Miss Potter?"

"Tuna breath," Mary grimaced and scraped her tongue with the edge of the bed sheet. "Can I get a toothbrush? My mouth feels nasty."

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Snape made an odd choking sound and Mary squinted at him to see the muscle in Snape's jaw twitching oddly. The thought of Mary getting the Kiss from one of those nasty grease rags was probably the best thing the man had heard all day.

For Mary, nothing was making much sense. She had that horrible nagging feeling that she was forgetting something really important, but for the life of her, she didn't really care to know what it was.

Mary's stomach growled loudly and she winced. "I'm starved. What day is it anyway?"

"Thursday the 2nd, Miss Potter." Madam Pomfrey sent her a shrewd and calculating look as she waved her wand over the girl once more. "What was the last thing you remember?"

Mary shut her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to think.

She remembered Hermione pointing to a suitcase and identifying the sleeping man in her compartment. She remembered the man's,  _Remus_ , yes, Remus's joyful face and the pride in his eyes as he placed a small picture of a tiny blue haired baby in Mary's hand. But she wasn't sure if that was real or just her imagination.

_Green light, death, pain, fearful screams and crumbling walls. Red eyed monsters and blue haired babies. Snakes, silver hands and gold so hot that it burned._

It was all too much. Mary gasped as she tried to rationalize the source of the images. The details were too clear to be just imagination, the pain was too real to be the result of some kind of dream. But none of it made any sense to her.

"The mind restorative seems to be taking affect." Snape drawled. "Although with such an addled brain, I doubt it will do much good."

Madam Pomfrey clucked reproachfully and Mary opened her eyes in time to see her giving Snape a scathing look. She poured another cupful of some unknown potion into a short glass and handed it to Mary with a warm smile.

"Don't let the Professor's attitude fool you, Miss Potter." She said as she watched Mary grimace and chug the foul smelling medicine. "He's spent hours working to get you back to full health."

Mary chanced a glance at her most hated professor and winced as her head throbbed painfully.

_**Look at me.**  Blood, fangs and black memories seeping into a bloody vial._

Mary shook violently under the assault of the images. Her head ached and pounded so forcefully that she could feel it in her ears and joints.

A pitcher and wash basin exploded on the other side of the room. There was a grinding sound and the floor shook beneath the bed. She heard the heavy oaken doors swing open and a soft gasp when more people entered the room. Rough hands carded through her hair as a firm grip grasped her shoulder and held her still.

"Deep breaths, Mary." Dumbledore said quietly.

"Breathe." A soft voice demanded. "You're safe now."

"The improved Laetitiam Elixir should take effect at any time." Snape said through clenched teeth.

The words had barely had time to register in Mary's already over taxed mind when she felt a comforting warmth flow through her veins. Her body relaxed, her breathing evened out, and she was finally able to shake the cold that had plagued her ever since the Dementors came near.

Snape's hand left her other shoulder as soon as Mary stilled, and Snape looked as though he wanted to soak the appendage in bleach. Madam Pomfrey handed Mary a small tumbler of water as she shot the three men a look that said that they were no longer needed. Mary's hands shook slightly as she grabbed the glass and had to double her grip to prevent the liquid from sloshing everywhere.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you now, my dear, but can you tell us what happened when the Dementor pulled you from the train." Professor Dumbledore inquired, placing a weathered hand on top of the girls smaller one.

Her eyes remained closed and her face expressionless as she tried to think of a plausible story that would keep them from asking any other questions that might make her slip up. Any attempt Dumbledore made to look into her mind was not going to work without eye contact.

Snape, of course, would not let her prolonged silence go without lashing out. He snatched the corner of the covers and yanked them from her bed, ripping away the only security she had. The glass of water fell to the floor with a crash that sent water splashing over McGonagall's tartan robes. After a few minutes of outrage from several of the professors, he turned his cold dark eyes to the girl who still hadn't moved. He made his way to the other side of the bed and knelt eye level with the girl.

"Miss Potter," he sneered, "as much amusement as you get from watching your elders trip over themselves to coddle you, you will not get that from me. Your injuries on the train were serious and we need to evaluate your health whether you like it or not."

He backed away a few steps without taking his eyes from the girl.

Her eyes snapped open, a burning intensity in their green depths as she stared at the potions master. He gave no warning as he gently skimmed the surface of her thoughts, but before he could look away a scene engulfed him.

_Voldemort walking up the stone steps, James yelling at Lily to run and take the child._

_The dark lord's glee as the green light slammed into the man, his echoing cold laughter as he purposefully marched up the stairs._

_A flash of light as a spell forced the blocked door open._

_Lily pleading with the monster to spare her child._

_Flashes of green and the red haired woman stopped screaming._

He quickly removed himself from her thoughts then swiftly turned his back on her as he clenched his fist and tried to control his emotions.

"I watched Voldemort murder my parents." Mary whispered, her voice raspy and rough. "I don't remember much after that."

She knew that it was wrong for her to force those memories onto her professor, but there was no other way she could think of to keep him out of her head.

"I'm so sorry, child." Dumbledore patted her hand gently as he waved his wand and tucked the warm blankets around her. "Get some rest."

He ushered Lupin, Snape and McGonagall out of the room while Madam Pomfrey handed her another glass of water and helped her take a few sips before leaving her to sleep.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	7. The Selective Amnesia

**Mary Potter**

"Your scans show that you're in good health, Miss Potter." Madam Pomfrey stated not unkindly later the next morning. "Mind that in itself shocks me considering the scrapes you get yourself into."

"It's not like I do it for fun." Mary's stomach chose that moment to growl again.

"I'd like to keep you here another night for observation, but something tells me that you would find a way to get yourself in more trouble if I try. So I'm giving you leave to join the others at breakfast if you can promise to come to me if you feel the slightest bit uneasy." She told her with pursed lips and her wand pointed at her in a manner that promised a hex and lecture if she disobeyed.

"Yes, ma'am." Mary agreed and reached for her wands that laid on the bedside table.

Her fingers were inches away and but as soon as her fingers touched the polished wood, the images flooded her mind again.

_Shattered mirrors. Snapping twigs. Heartfelt apologies that didn't ease the loss._

Sparks flew from the Phoenix wand as it slapped into her palm.

It seemed like a cloud had been lifted from her mind. Mary felt better than she had in a very long time. She had to give Snape props on his improved Whatchamacallit Elixir, it really spanked the arse and put things into perspective. While she still didn't understand the source of the random images, it no longer bothered her. It was like a huge weight had been removed from her shoulders, one that she couldn't even remember having.

* * *

**Severus Snape**

From the head table, the professors stared on in trepidation and wariness, as the young girl took quick and determined steps toward her spot at the Gryffindor table. She looked healthier than she had the previous two years, and far more up kept. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail and her usually rumpled clothes were smooth and wrinkle free.

"Hey, Potter!" Draco Malfoy's haughty voice echoed through the hall, drawing the eyes of most of the castle's inhabitants. "I heard that the Dementors showed you how pathetic you are! Is that true?"

"Oh no." The girl shot back with a smile. "It showed me your ugly mug. I vomited twice."

Without another word she found her seat and was promptly joined by the rest of her ragtag group of friends.

"She has her mother's wit." Minerva sighed as she passed the gravy boat to her left.

"And none of her brains." Snape sneered as he pushed the gravy away in disgust, not wanting to think about his former best friend or her irritating chit of a daughter.

"I must admit I was quite pleased to hear she changed her electives." Dumbledore said as he poured in insane amount of gravy onto his potatoes. "The study of Ancient Runes can be quite intriguing."

"What courses did she drop, Minerva?" Professor Flitwick passed a bowl of potatoes to his right as he lent forward to speak to the stern witch. "Nothing important I hope."

"She only dropped Divination." McGonagall smiled slightly. "I asked if she wanted to do a trial course in Arithmancy. She purchased the books, but she was adamant that she would 'conquer that beast on her own time'."

"How very Gryffindor." Snape muttered.

"Why thank you, Severus." Minerva said proudly. "I find her opinion on her studies very heartening givien the way she spent the last two years following young Mr. Weasley's study habits."

"She'll do no better this year." He argued back. "She has always and will always be lazy and mediocre at best."

"We shall see." Minerva turned to him with a challenging smile.

And with that, the teachers went back to talking amongst themselves about inane things and their daily schedules.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as Mary sat down between her and Ron. "They didn't let us visit, but assured us that you were okay."

Mary let out a small sigh and smiled at her friend in gratitude. "I'm fine."

Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance that Mary didn't miss as she sat there and scooped some food onto her plate.

"You'll never guess!" Ron told her with a smirk. "The man that was in our compartment is our new Defense professor."

"Professor Remus Lupin." Hermione clarified. "And Hagrid is the new Care of Magical Creatures professor!"

Mary smiled widely in pride of her friend's accomplishment. "When is Hagrid's first class?"

"Yesterday." Ron smiled wistfully. "We went fishing in the lake. Hagrid said we would need the fish for the next class."

Hermione looked a little less enthusiastic about the class, but still gave her opinion. "He had us tell him about the different types of creatures we've heard about while we fished."

"Said he had a surprise for us for next class." Ron shoveled another forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Professor McGonagall gave me your schedule." Hermione handed her a small piece of parchment.

Mary looked over her timetable and smiled at her bushy haired friend.

_**Mary Potter** _

**Monday**

**8:15 a.m. Transfiguration (Double)**

**10:45 a.m. Charms**

**1:15 p.m. History of Magic**

**2:30 p.m. Ancient Runes**

**Tuesday**

**8:15 a.m. Potions (Double)**

**10:45 a.m. Care of Magical Creatures**

**1:15 p.m. Herbology (Double)**

**12:00 a.m. Astronomy**

**Wednesday**

**8:15 a.m. History of Magic**

**9:30 a.m. Defense Against the Dark Arts (Double)**

**1:15 p.m. Transfiguration**

**2:30 p.m. Ancient Runes**

**Thursday**

**8:15 a.m. Care of Magical Creatures**

**9:30 a.m. Herbology (Double)**

**1:15 p.m. Potions (Double)**

**Friday**

**8:15 a.m. Defense Against the Dark Arts**

**9:30 a.m. History of Magic**

**10:45 a.m. Study of Ancient Runes**

**1:15 p.m. Charms (Double)**

_**Students are required to wear work robes and bring a pair of gloves when attending Potions, Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures. Failure to appear properly attired will result in dismissal from the class and a T for the lesson.** _

"I'll bet we have another review lesson." Ron grumbled then looked suddenly worried. "What are the chances this professor will try to kill us or remove our memories?"

Mary looked up to the head table were Professor Lupin looked about ready to fall asleep on his plate and felt a pang of sympathy for the man. "Unless he's capable of cursing us in his sleep, I think we're safe."

"He does look ill." Hermione said worriedly. "Third year is a crucial time in our education. I certainly hope that Professor Dumbledore hired someone that will survive the year."

"Way to prioritize." Ron chuckled and heaped more food onto his plate.

Mary left breakfast early and took off at a run toward Gryffindor tower to get her things for class. Luckily, the common room and dorm were empty when she burst in and dug through her trunk to get her books.

"Defense. History. Runes. Charms." Mary said aloud as she pulled out the textbooks and stuffed them into her backpack along with a new set of quills and pack of ink pens and a new notebook.

She hurdled down the stairs and straight into Oliver Wood who had his nose buried in a book.

"Potter!" He helped steady her and grabbed her backpack off the floor. "How are you?"

"Late for class." Mary gasped. "Or about to be."

He pushed her towards the door with a worried gleam in his eyes. "No need to get a detention. We'll start training for the season soon and I'll not have any of my team missing."

"Aye. Aye. Captain." Mary saluted him with a laugh as she stepped out of the portrait hole and took off for the Defense classroom.

Her feet skidded across the stones as she rounded the corner and sprinted towards the open door where the last few students were walking inside. Mary stopped a few feet away, took a deep breath and walked in calmly with her head held high as she sat down next to Neville in the back row. The door shut a few short moments later and Mary let out the breath she was holding.

"Welcome to third year Defense." The man said tiredly. "I'm Professor Remus Lupin."

Professor Lupin sent a stack of parchment floating through the air that distributed to each student. "As I've done with the other years, I'd like you each check off the things you've learned from your past two professors."

The students let out a collective groan, not seeing that Professor Lupin looked ready to fall over from exhaustion. "This is only so I can gauge where I need to start you at. Keep in mind I'm not asking what you know, only what you've been taught in the past. I'd hate to make this class boring by reteaching you things that you have already mastered. I promise you that the next time you walk into this classroom you will be far from bored. When you're finished with the list, bring it to me and tell me one thing that you'd like to learn by the end of this school year, and if it's within my capabilities, I'll see to it that you master it."

The rest of the day passed in the same mind numbing fashion of review of the previous years. The only highlight was Ancient Runes, where Mary finally learned something new. It was tricky and tedious work, but Mary loved to learn about all of the amazing things that Runes could do.

Mary, Ron and Hermione were walking back to Gryffindor tower after Charms when little Dennis Creevey – a first year – ran up to them and claimed that Mary was needed in the Headmaster's office immediately. Mary left her friends standing in the corridor in confusion and raced through the halls until she came upon the griffin statue.

"Mary Potter to see Professor Dumbledore." Mary said to the stone gargoyle.

It opened for her and Mary took the steps slowly and tried to calm her racing heart. The closer she came to the office door, the more she could hear irate screaming coming from the other side. The door clicked open before she could knock and Mary opened it to see a rather irritated Sirius yelling at Professor Dumbledore.

"I don't know what kind of school you're running these days, but to hear that my goddaughter, a child legally in my care, was attacked by Dementors and I have to find out through the effing Daily Prophet the day after she nearly dies!"

"Sirius!" Mary yelled loudly, garnering both his attention and Dumbledore's.

Sirius ran forward and pulled her into a bone crushing hug and stared down at her with tear filled fearful eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Mary sighed and hugged him back. "They didn't suck out my soul. Apparently it wasn't to their taste."

"Merlin, kid." Sirius chuckled. "I almost had a heart attack."

"At your age." Mary scoffed. "Don't joke about such things."

"There's no need for insults." Sirius pulled her into another hug. "Do you want to come home? I can teach you whatever you want to learn."

Mary laughed loudly then smiled up at him. "I'm okay. Really, Siri."

A throat cleared and Mary and Sirius both turned to look at Professor Dumbledore who was watching them with twinkling eyes.

"As I've said," Dumbledore looked at Sirius over the rim of his glasses. "I had no idea that you had taken legal custody of Miss Potter. Had I known, you would have been informed as soon as we returned from the train."

Sirius looked at Dumbledore with a stony glare. "I've trusted you for years, sir, but Mary's well being is all that matters to me now. I trust you'll keep that in mind and know that I will stop at nothing to make sure that she is safe."

Mary squeezed Sirius's arm tightly, trying to get him to shut the hell up. "If you don't mind, Professor, I'd like to give Sirius a quick tour of the school."

"Take all the time you'd like." The elder wizard said kindly. "You're welcome to join us for dinner, Sirius."

"I'll consider it." Sirius held his head up proudly and let Mary guide him out of the office.

She looked over her shoulder and grimaced at Dumbledore in apology as they walked out, only to see him smile widely in response. The moment the doors were closed and Mary was sure they were alone, she stopped in her tracks and turned to her godfather with a questioning look.

"I was in the Prophet?" She asked through gritted teeth.

Sirius reached into his robes and pulled out a rolled up copy of the paper and pointed to her picture. "Front page."

"Damnit!" Mary hissed as her eyes scanned the article that made her sound like a poor helpless victim that was doomed to be a soulless vegetable. "These people need to learn to get their facts straight. I am not a short little girl anymore. I'm almost as tall as Hermione!"

Sirius let out a bark like laugh. "Ah, to be young again. Way to prioritize, kiddo."

"Stuff it, Snuggly." Mary growled out and set the paper on fire.

"Hey, now!" Sirius yelped as the paper vanished in flames. "That was my only copy."

"So how are things at the home front?" Mary asked as they made their way through the castle. "Is Dobby okay?

Sirius shrugged carelessly. "I learned the little guy can't hold his liquor."

Mary stared at him in disbelief. "You didn't?!"

"No!" Sirius laughed and pointed at her. "You should have seen your face! You looked murderous. Do you really have so little faith in me?"

Mary gave him a shrewd look. "Faith has nothing to do with it, Siri. I'm just not sure I can trust you when left to your own devices."

"I said I was sorry about the glowy stars! I didn't know they'd be flammable!" Sirius pleaded.

"It said on the packaging not to use heating charms near them!" Mary argued and gestured wildly. "Not only did you ignore that, you tossed them into the Floo and sent them god knows where."

Sirius grimaced and shrugged. "It's a good thing you burned that paper then."

Mary glared at him and ground her teeth as she rounded the corner, only to walk straight into someone and bounce back.

"I'm sorry, Miss Potter." A soft voice said quietly. "I didn't see you there."

Mary looked up at Professor Lupin, and winced as Sirius ran into her.

"Merlin, kid. You can't just stop like that." Sirius pulled her to her feet, not noticing they had company. "I almost bowled you over."

"Siri," Mary pinched his arm and spun him to face her new professor. "This is Professor Lupin, my new Defense teacher. Professor, this is my godfather Sirius Black."

Professor Lupin looked at Sirius who stared back stonily. "We've met."

Sirius swallowed hard. "This is awkward."

Mary looked from one to the other and realized that they would never make the move to reconcile on their own. She hooked her arm through Sirius's and pulled him toward her then looked up at Professor Lupin, trying to figure out the best way to make this happen.

"We were headed to the Great Hall for dinner, sir. Would you care to join us?" Mary asked him kindly.

"You look tired, Remus." Sirius observed casually, gaining a hard look from the other man. "How've you been?"

"Getting by as best as I can." Professor Lupin answered quietly, shooting a glance at Mary, then took a step towards Sirius. "How are you?"

Mary backed away quietly as Sirius started talking about his recovery, before they were out of earshot, Mary could hear Remus asking about how he met Mary. She hoped that they would be able to pick up their friendship where they left off. It almost hurt to think about how she would feel if Ron or Hermione had believed her guilty of a crime she didn't commit, but she knew for a fact that she'd forgive them and try to come to an understanding. She just hoped Sirius could do the same.

The Gryffindor common room was packed full of students when Mary walked in, some turned and stared at her like she was some kind of freak, but most of them just greeted her politely and went about their business. Mary flopped down onto the couch next to Ron and put her head in her hands, rubbing at her face with a tired sigh.

"What'd Dumbledore want you for?" Ron turned and asked, causing Hermione to pull her head from behind her book and shoot Mary a pointed look.

"Sirius heard about the attack on the train." Mary groaned and leaned back into the soft cushions. "Came to make sure I still had my soul."

Hermione closed her book with a snap. "It's nothing to joke about. You have no idea how frightening it was for us to see that happen."

"It wasn't exactly a cake walk for me." Mary grumbled and leaned forward to grab her backpack. "Thanks for bringing my stuff."

"I have the reading assignments from yesterday." Hermione handed her a slip of paper, showing Mary that her homework for the night had doubled, then shot Mary an indignant look. "The Ministry is in very hot water concerning the attack, no one wants to believe that the current administration is too blind to see that more than half of the Dementors have gone rogue. It looks very bad on Fudge's part to appear so ignorant."

"He  _is_  that ignorant though." Mary shrugged. "Any idea what they're going to do to catch the Dementors?"

Hermione leaned forward slightly. "According to the Prophet, a team of Hit-Wizards and a group of Unspeakables have been dispatched to find them and take them back to Azkaban."

"Good luck with that." Ron mumbled as he picked up his Transfiguration text. "Dementors aren't exactly stray puppies."

Hermione suddenly looked very downtrodden and reached over Ron's book to grasp Mary's hand. "I thought you were avoiding us. We've barely spoken at all since last year."

"I'm sorry." Mary said wholeheartedly. "Things have been a little insane lately."

"She can't be blamed for being in a coma, 'Mione." Ron defended her. "And it's not like we had a chance to sit down and chat when there was a bloody Death Eater rat attacking her."

"That's just what I'm saying!" Hermione hissed heatedly. "So much has happened and we've barely even had time to greet each other! I miss the times when we had a full year to figure out the mysteries."

"I'd rather forgo the adventures this year." Mary let out a small chuckle. "But I agree with you both. The past few months couldn't be helped, but we're back together now. And if you two don't mind, I'd like to go get some dinner. Something tells me it's going to be a very long night of reading."

Hermione nodded at her proudly. "It's a good thing it's the weekend then. We can get all caught up with our revising and maybe even read ahead."

Ron shut his book and groaned in disgust. "I hate homework."

He seemed to regret speaking so loudly when Hermione immediately set in on him about the benefits of reading ahead and studying outside the classroom. Mary smiled widely and shook her head as she walked along side her friends to the Great Hall, finally feeling like she was home again.

"So how was the rest of your summer?" Mary asked as they sat down at their regular spot at Gryffindor's house table.

"Mum was in a right state that last week." Ron shook his head and grimaced. "Neither her or dad could believe that Scabbers was Pettigrew. And then when you sent that letter saying you were living with Sirius, she looked ready to have kittens."

"It was quite a shock." Hermione took a drink of her pumpkin juice then gave Mary a searching look. "You'd just met the man and decided to move in with him that very same day. We're all just worried about you."

"Mum's still trying to get Dumbledore to let her adopt you." Ron smirked at his dark haired friend. "She started in on that after you rescued Ginny last year."

"I appreciate the thought." Mary smiled at them both. "But Sirius is my godfather. Had he not went to Azkaban, he would have been the one to raise me. It's what my parents wanted."

"How is it then?" Ron asked curiously as the food appeared. "Better than the Muggles I hope."

"Loads better!" Mary laughed. "Dobby is living with us too, so we have a blast!"

"That barmy house elf?" Ron's eyes widened and he dropped his forkful of food onto the table. "You're actually letting it stay with you?"

"Dobby," Mary corrected with a stern look. "Is a he. And he has become a very close friend of mine."

"I've never met a house elf," Hermione said with curious eyes. "What are they like?"

"We can go meet them sometime." Mary offered and wondered why she felt a sudden reluctance at the invitation. "There are a lot of them working in the kitchen."

"House elves? Here at Hogwarts?" Hermione looked shocked. "Why haven't we ever seen them?"

"Not supposed to." Ron shrugged and went back to his food.

"They take great pride in their work and in never being seen unless called upon." Mary repeated it as exactly as Dobby had explained it to her.

Ron and Hermione both looked up and Mary turned around to see Sirius walking up to where she sat. "There you are, kid. You just disappeared on me."

"Sorry, Siri." She scooted over to give him room to sit. "I have a mountain of homework that I needed to procrastinate about. And it looked like you two needed a minute."

Sirius let out a bark like laugh but didn't sit down. "We did. I'm sorry I can't stay, pup. I just wanted to say goodnight. Don't forget to give me a call if you need me."

Mary stood up and hugged him tightly. "Bye, Siri. Give my love to Dobby."

"And what about me?" Sirius put a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"Love you too, Snuggly."

"Be good, kiddo." He ruffled her hair. "Ron, Hermione, have a good term. Keep yourselves out of trouble."

"We'll fry." Ron said through a mouthful of potatoes.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and looked at Sirius in exasperation. "Have a good night."

"You too." Sirius waved as he walked away.

Later that night, after Mary had showered and changed into her pajamas, she climbed into bed. Lavender and Parvati glanced at her and whispered at each other.

_A hulking figure hovered over the body of a brown haired girl, his sharp teeth bright red and bloodstained._

"Mary?" A soft voice pulled her from the image and Mary shook her head to look up at the two girls. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Mary shrugged. "Just woolgathering. I'm guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"Get some sleep." Lavender smiled cheerfully. "You don't want to have bags under your eyes on the weekend."

"Thanks." Mary replied in confusion as she pulled the hangings closed. "Good night."

"Should we?" She heard Parvati whisper.

"She could use it." Lavender giggled.

Paper rustled in the background as Mary's eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

The weekend was just as quiet and peaceful as Mary could have hoped it to be. Well, for the most part.

First thing Saturday morning, Mary was woken by Lavender and Parvati, who insisted that she let them be in charge of her wardrobe. She hadn't even agreed yet and Lavender was already digging through her trunk, pulling garments out and looking at them in with a keen eye.

"Do I look that bad?" Mary asked the other girls as Hermione huffed loudly from behind the stack of textbooks spread across her bed.

"Well," Lavender looked at her sympathetically. "The past couple of years you've never really seemed to care what you look like."

"I really  _don't_  care." Mary replied in a kind, but honest tone. "As long as everything that needs to be covered is covered, I'm okay."

"You're so funny." Parvati giggled. "If you really don't care, then leave the wardrobe to Lav, I'll cover the hair."

Mary pulled a lock of her jet black hair into her line of sight. "What's wrong with my hair?"

Parvati let her hands drop to her sides in indignation. "You've been blessed with gorgeous hair, Mary! And instead of taking care of it, you let it hang around like a wet towel."

"I'm sorry?" Mary apologized in complete confusion.

"Please say yes." Lavender pleaded, clasping her hands together with Parvati's. "We promise you won't regret it."

"As my godfather would say, 'Why the hell not?'" Mary shrugged and then lurched backwards as the two girls tackled her into a hug while squealing loudly.

Mary tugged at the hem of her jumper as she descended the stairs half an hour later. Her long dark haired was pulled back in a complex plait and twisted around into a bun, while a small swatch of it covered her forehead and scar.

Hermione was waiting in the common room waiting for her and shook her head in annoyance at the sight of her. "I don't know why you let them subject you to that."

Mary shrugged her shoulders and put her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "They were right. I don't care how I look. Why should it bother me that they do? Plus, didn't you see how happy they were while repairing my 'image'? I think makeovers are some kind of hobby for them."

"You really don't mind?" Hermione asked incredulously as they made their way to the Great Hall. "They were pretty rough in their criticism."

Mary let out a quiet laugh. "I wore my cousin Dudley's cast offs up until last year. They might not know how I was raised, but they knew I needed help. Hell, when I went to the robe shop, I had to let Madam Malkin measure me because I didn't even know what sizes I wore. In  _anything_."

Mary gave Hermione a moment for that to sink in and watched as the other girl's eyes widened in horror. "Even, well... undergarments?"

"Those were Dudley's castoffs too." Mary grimaced dramatically.

Hermione cleared her throat and sat down at the Gryffindor table, looking mildly affronted at the revelation. "How far have you gotten in your readings?"

Mary piled eggs and bacon onto her plate. "I read through all of the textbooks over the summer, but I finally caught up with the assigned re-readings while Parvati was working her magic on my poor old mop."

Hermione choked on her pumpkin juice and Mary patted her lightly on the back. "You read over the summer?"

"I do know how." Mary replied in mock indignation. "I only get stuck at the really big words."

Hermione chuckled and coughed again. "I didn't mean it like that. Usually you take Ron's approach to finishing things at the last possible moment."

Mary rolled her eyes. "I was bored and trapped in that room for weeks. Reading was my only escape. I even double checked my summer essays. Call the Prophet."

Hermione took a deep breath and sighed loudly. "I still have a hundred pages to read before I'm caught up."

"Why don't we go out by the lake after breakfast?" Mary suggested. "You can catch up on your reading and we can enjoy the last of the summer warmth."

"That does sound nice." Hermione agreed as Ron sat down beside her.

"What does?" He asked sleepily.

"We're going to study by the lake." Mary nodded her head in a comical manner. "And if we can't read the books we'll chuck them into the water."

"Ungh." Ron grumbled as he dumped heaps of food onto his plate.

Despite his displeasure, Ron still joined them to study by the lake. An hour or so in, Mary felt so bored that she was actually twitching.

"I'm going to say hi to Hagrid real quick." She told her friends quietly. "I'll meet you at lunch."

Hermione nodded from behind her book and Ron grunted as he flipped the page of his book and looked over at Hermione in resignation. Mary bit her lip to keep from smiling as she made her way over to the newly titled professor's home.

She knocked on the heavy door and waited as Fang barked loudly from inside.

"Mary!" Hagrid boomed as he pulled the door open.

Fang jumped into her arms, knocking her down the stairs and flat onto her back. She laughed and scratched behind the dog's ears while he licked her face.

"Fang!" Hagrid yelled. "Back!"

Hagrid grabbed Fang's collar and pulled him back as Mary stood up and brushed her muddy hands across her jeans.

"Sorry 'bout that." Hagrid apologized.

Mary reached forward and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I've missed you, Hagrid."

"Missed yeh too." Hagrid patted her on the back, almost sending her sprawling into the mud again. "Come on in, then. I've got the kettle on. We'll 'ave a cuppa."

"Sounds great!" Mary smiled and followed him inside.

She'd always loved how cozy Hagrid's hut felt. Everything inside had a reason or purpose, there were no silly decorations or adornments, it was all things that could be used for many different purposes. Her eyes drifted around the room and tried to find something new.

"Congratulations, Professor Hagrid." Mary grinned widely as she held up the massive cup of tea.

Hagrid blushed and tapped his mug against hers. "Couldna done it with out yeh. And Ron and 'Ermione o' course."

"Tell me, sir." Mary rubbed her hands together. "How have your classes been?"

"None of that 'sir' business from yeh." Hagrid gave her a fierce look, then leaned back with flushed cheeks. "The upper years seemed ter enjoy it so far. I had somethin' special for yer first class, but considerin' the attack, I put it off 'til Tuesday."

"I look forward to it." Mary replied honestly.

Hagrid stared at her with dark worried eyes. "Yeh are okay, though, aren't yeh?"

"I'm great, Hagrid." Mary patted his hand. "I'm even living with Sirius now."

"I read 'bout him bein' innocent." Hagrid told her in a gruff tone. "Shoulda known he wasn't guilty. Ministry tried ter blame me when I was innocent too. How's ol' Sirius a doin?"

"He seems to be doing okay." She replied with a wary smile. "I worry about him being all alone after spending so much time in Azkaban though."

"He's a strong lad." Hagrid nodded reassuringly. "He'll be jus' fine."

A couple of hours later, Mary left Hagrid's and made her way to the castle for lunch. Her stomach growled loudly as she passed greenhouse seven and even the Devil's Snare poked a vine out of the window towards the sound.

Mary heard the sound of soft footsteps behind her and spun around, wand raised, only to see Professor Snape standing less than ten feet away, holding a white linen cloth full of clippings. She re-holstered her wand and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Expecting an attack, Potter?" He sneered at her.

"No, sir." She replied quietly. "Just a little on edge, I guess."

"Shouldn't you be out gallivanting around the castle with your friends?" Snape gritted out.

"I was visiting Hagrid." Mary buried her hands in her pockets and walked beside him towards the lake, leaving at least five feet between them.

A thought occurred to her that she couldn't ignore and wondered just how wise it would be to voice.

"Are there any good uses for basilisk parts, sir?" She asked quietly.

Snape stopped in his tracks and Mary turned to face him, sure to keep her eyes downcast in case he used Legilimency to read her mind.

"As it's near impossible to find, let alone kill one, I'd say that the market for them is great." Snape replied as though explaining it to a slug. "But as a very dark creature, it's uses in potions that would be considered helpful is unknown."

"Oh," Mary resumed walking and Snape did the same, though she could see him cutting his eyes at her with a furrowed brow. "I'd hoped that the one in the Chamber could be of use to you."

"And what makes you think that the beast hasn't already been harvested?" Snape drawled.

Mary raised a brow and shrugged. "The Chamber only opens for a Parselmouth, sir. And Ron said that the entrance sealed itself after he escaped with Lockhart and Ginny."

"For once, he is correct." Snape said stiffly "I will speak to the Headmaster on the matter."

With robes billowing behind him, the dour man walked to the stone steps without another word.

Mary looked over to see Ron and Hermione still sitting under the old oak and trudged over to them while baking under the midday sun.

"Well if it isn't the black sheep of the Weasley family."

Mary spun around to see Fred and George walking up to her.

"Do my ears deceive me or did George just complete a sentence all on his lonesome?" Mary put a hand to her mouth in surprise.

"I forgot you could do that." Fred chuckled as he slung his arm around her shoulders. "I think you're the only one who can tell us apart besides Bill."

George grasped her hand in his and gave a slight bow. "Promise you'll never tell dear old mum how?"

"I would never betray you that way!" Mary stared at them in mock horror with her free hand over her heart in an insulted stance. "It would go against my honor as the daughter of a Marauder."

George dropped her hand as Fred's arm fell off her shoulders.

"Could it be?" Fred asked George in a serious whisper.

"She could be trying to trick us." George told his brother in the same tone.

"Or I could just solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." Mary smirked and spun on her heel, continuing her journey towards Ron and Hermione, leaving Fred and George gaping at her in deep thought.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	8. A New Mission

**Mary Potter**

Over the next few days, Mary fell into a simple routine. Each morning, Lavender would get Mary's clothes ready while Parvati fixed her hair into a new style from Witch Weekly magazine while Hermione looked on in resignation.

Her class work now felt ridiculously easy, almost like she'd done it all before. Still, it was tricky trying to do spells with her new wand, while using her non-dominant hand, but with a whole lot of practice, she felt more than capable.

After classes, Mary found a small table in the corner of the common room where she would study and finish her homework with Ron and Hermione. As soon as they'd finish, they would put away their books and follow the rest of Gryffindor house to the Great Hall for dinner.

The morning of September seventh dawned dark and dreary, creating a very tense atmosphere for the third year Gryffindors who would be attending a double potions class with Slytherin House. Mary put on her work robes and boots and made sure she had her dragon hide gloves tucked in her pocket then went about getting her needed books together.

Hermione walked up beside Mary as she was putting her carefully constructed essay on Shrinking Potions into her backpack and tapped her lightly on the shoulder while juggling a stack of books.

"Do you have room in your bag for a few of my textbooks?" Hermione asked with pleading eyes. "My own is already bursting at the seams."

Mary reached out and grabbed the large tomes from her friend's arms. "You don't even have to ask, 'Mione."

Mary pulled the drawstrings on her bag and closed it before slipping it onto her shoulder, thankful that she had bought one in Diagon Alley that was equipped with a feather light charm.

They met up with Ron in the common room and walked to breakfast together.

"Hope Snape is in a better mood today." Ron mumbled as he sat down across from them and beside Neville.

"Me too." Neville's hand shook so harshly that his cup of pumpkin juice tipped over and poured into Mary's lap.

Mary grabbed her napkin and mopped up the worst of it as Neville babbled apologies.

"It's no big deal." Mary chuckled lightly. "Really, Nev. It's just some spilled juice."

She pulled out her wand and cast a cleaning spell on her robes that removed the stain completely. Then picked up the pitcher and poured a cupful of juice for Neville and passed it to him, not noticing the odd look Hermione had on her face after watching Mary's wandwork.

"Any chance you can nick that bowl of jam from Fred and George?" Ron asked hopefully as he looked down at his bare toast.

"George!" Mary said in a loud voice catching the older boy's attention. "I have need of jam."

George's eyes widened and he quickly levitated the bowl so that it floated down the table and landed softly right in front of Mary. Mary smiled brightly at him in thanks and pushed the jam toward Ron.

"Wish that worked for me." Ron said in awe as he slathered his toast in raspberry jelly. "Had I asked, they would have pelted it at my face."

Mary finished her breakfast and stood up alongside her friends. Together, the third year Gryffindors trudged down to the dungeons and waited outside of the Potions classroom for Professor Snape to arrive.

Unfortunately, the Slytherins had arrived first. Draco Malfoy swaggered forward with his arms crossed and stood a few feet away from them and lazily leaned against the wall.

"Finally well enough to join us, Potter?" He asked loftily as he examined his nails.

"Why, yes." Mary smiled, showing too many teeth. "Thank you for asking."

"Such a disappointment for all when that Dementor didn't get to second base." Draco drawled carelessly.

The other Slytherins laughed raucously at his crude remark and Draco seemed to preen under the praise.

"Why you little..." Ron growled and move forward with his fists clenched.

Mary gritted her teeth and grasped Ron's arm when he tried to push past her. "This ignorant little shit isn't worth the effort."

A throat cleared loudly and everyone turned to see Snape standing there holding the door for them.

"Inside." He hissed, glaring at Mary as though she was the one at fault.

Mary quickly moved to the front of the room and sat her bag down, pulling her essay and Hermione's textbook out. She passed Hermione her book then walked up to Snape's desk and set her essay down.

"What is this, Potter?" Snape growled out.

"The summer assignment on Shrinking Potions, sir." Mary answered quietly.

Snape looked up at her with a dark smirk. "It was due on Thursday, as you well know. Detention Saturday morning for failing to turn in homework on time."

"Yes, sir." Mary replied and went back to her desk where Hermione was staring at Snape in indignation.

Mary shook her head at her friend, telling her not to make a scene over it. But Hermione ignored her completely.

"Mary was in the hospital wing on Thursday, Professor." Hermione said indignantly. "She should at least get an extension."

"Miss Granger," Snape stalked toward her with a gleam in his eyes that Mary did not like. "You do not have the authority to tell me how to run my classroom. Nor do you have the right to interrupt it. Report to Filch for detention each night this week."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in horror as the dour Professor's smirk widened and the younger Slytherins tittered in glee.

"Instructions are on the board." Snape snapped loudly, making the entire class jump.

Hermione had angry tears in her eyes as she flipped through her book to the correct page. Mary gave her a sympathetic look as she opened her own book and then set to getting her cauldron and ingredients ready. The two girls worked side by side in silence throughout the class and turned in what appeared to be two perfect samples of Shrinking Solution, only Mary's was almost a fluorescent green in color where it should have been more of an acid shade.

Mary carefully packed away her things and put them back in her bag when Snape's voice made her blood turn cold.

"What did you do to your Solution, Potter?" Snape looked from Mary to the slightly glowing vial he held with narrowed eyes.

"I added a drop of daisy root juice after the rat's spleen and stirred once clockwise to offset the effects of the leech extract, sir." Mary answered quietly, keeping her head down slightly.

Snape looked up at her with an almost thoughtful tone. "To what end?"

Mary straightened her shoulders and looked at him full on. "The Shrinking Solution is said to be disorienting to the user, I had hoped that the daisy juice would counteract that."

"Did your textbook or my own instructions suggest this?" Snape sneered at her.

"No, sir." Mary replied, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for experimenting in class." He snarled at her. "Be in my office at six on Saturday morning. Dismissed."

Mary nodded jerkily, avoiding his eyes, and spun around, grabbed her bag off the bench, and walked out of the classroom behind Hermione, but the older girl ran around the corner and disappeared from sight before a single word could be said.

Ron caught up to Mary and looked around curiously. "Where'd she go?"

Mary shrugged and put her hands in her pockets. "She'll find us. Come on, we better get to Hagrid's."

"Think we'll be fishing again?" Ron asked wistfully. "It'd be nice to relax a bit after Potions."

They were halfway to the Entrance Hall when they spotted Hermione. Her bag had ripped and there were textbooks littering the corridor, getting stepped on and kicked by the students rushing to their next class. Mary pulled out her wand and waved it in a wide arcing summoning charm, causing all of the books and papers to float into the air and zoom straight to where she was standing.

"Catch and stack!" Mary yelled at Ron as the first massive tome flew forward.

He caught the book and set it on the ground by his feet while Mary caught the second. It went on and on until every last book and scroll of parchment was accounted for.

"Blimey!" Ron said in wonder. "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Mad-Eye Moody taught me when I was in Diagon Alley." Mary answered honestly. "Trainee Tonks tried to teach me, but she wasn't much good at it."

"Useful." Ron shrugged.

Mary knelt down on the floor, carefully packing Hermione's books and scrolls into the bag.

"Thanks." Hermione said gratefully with red-rimmed eyes. "I can't believe I have detention every night this week! I'm going to fall so behind in my homework. This day just couldn't get any worse."

"Calm down, 'Mione." Ron patted her arm. "We'll help out. Just let us know how."

"He's right." Mary agreed as she pulled the bag onto her shoulder. "We'll get it done."

"Finished." Hermione corrected her absently as she ran a hand over her face. "And now my bag is ruined."

"I have the two texts I'll need for the day stuck at the top." Mary told her, and showed her the books in her bag. "You can just take my book-bag if you have another class to get to later."

"I appreciate that." Hermione reached for the bag.

"I'm carrying it until we get to Hagrid's." Mary kept the bag away from her friend's grasp. "You can have it after that."

They all pulled up the hoods of their cloaks as they made their way out of the castle and into the heavy mist. The ground was soggy and muddy beneath their feet and at least four students slipped while navigating their way down the steep grassy hill that led to the Gamekeeper's hut.

Hagrid held his door open and stood there with a bucket of fish in his other hand. "Put all yer things 'nside. Yer won't be needin' books an such today."

Mary took Hermione's ripped backpack and Ron's textbook, stuffing them down in her own bag before carrying them inside the hut and placing them on the floor by the door. The Slytherins were all sneering at the inside of Hagrid's modest home and weren't careful about how loud they were being.

"My word," Pansy scoffed loudly. "My horses live in a cleaner place."

"Well maybe you should ask them to keep your things safe while you're in class." Mary growled at her. "Or you can leave them out in the rain for the next hour."

Pansy sniffed, putting her nose in the air, and turned her back on Mary.

Mary, Ron and Hermione followed closely to Hagrid as they swiftly walked through the forest. The tree line broke into a small clearing where a simple paddock had been constructed. Hagrid whistled loudly, causing his students to cover their ears, and set the bucket of fish, rope of coneys, and ferrets on a small metal peg.

"Here we go!" Hagrid boomed happily as a herd of winged horses with eagles heads appeared through the dense foliage. "Who can tell me what these magnificent beasts are?"

"Hippogriffs!" Dean Thomas said loudly, in awe of the creatures.

"Right!" Hagrid beamed proudly. "Ten points ter Gryffindor."

"Now I'll have yeh know," Hagrid said in a softer tone. "A Hippogriff is nothing to trifle with if yeh don't have the mind for it. They're loyal and good creatures, but they're prideful as all get out. Insulting one could be the last mistake yeh make."

The students all looked wary and Mary looked around to see most of them backing away from the fence.

"Who wants teh be the firs' teh meet one?" Hagrid asked suddenly.

Mary, who had been leaning on the fence, climbed over carefully and stood with her back to the fence until Hagrid let her know it was okay to approach.

A smaller reddish brown Hippogriff was cautiously approaching Mary from the right and Hagrid held up his hand for Mary to stay still. She remained frozen in place, trying not to twitch as the heavy mist caused rivulets of water to trail down her face in a way that felt itchy.

"Turn slowly and bow as deeply as yeh can without breakin' eye contact." Hagrid said softly. "Peaches is fairly new to the herd and not been around many humans. I'd rather yeh go to Buckbeak, but I don't think he's in the mood fer company."

Mary spun at a snail's pace and met the creatures eyes as she bowed deeply. Peaches trotted forward and Hagrid tossed a fish to Mary, who caught it without taking her eyes off the Hippogriff. She held out the fish and smiled when Peaches bowed deeply before gently pulling the offering from her hand.

"Another ten points ter Gryffindor." Hagrid told Mary proudly as he patted her on the back. "Gather round everybody, just be careful not ter spook 'em."

Mary pulled another fish out of the bucket and carefully made her way to where Buckbeak was standing at the front of the herd. She bowed her head and he turned around to sniff at her face, making her chuckle as he stole the fish while he distracted her.

"They're all tame." Malfoy sneered as he walked toward her and kicked a clump of mud off of his boot. "Not dangerous at all are you. Not like that brute of handler you have."

Buckbeak reared up on his hind legs and gave an outraged cry that made Malfoy lurch back and trip over a protruding root. Mary jumped forward to pull him out of the way when Buckbeak's strike landed, sending her sprawling forward onto Malfoy.

She couldn't help but let out a small cry of pain as the six inch long talons ripped through her robes and cloak and dug into the tender skin of her back. She heard the scuffling of feet and heard Hagrid yelling at the confused Hippogriff.

"You effing bloody idiot." She hissed as she pushed herself off of the blond boy. "He said not to insult them and it's the first thing you fucking do!"

"Mary!" Ron and Hermione cried out as they leaped forward to help her up.

"Bad Buckbeak!" Hagrid reprimanded the angry creature.

"Ow.." Mary winced as she stumbled over to him and bowed her head at the Hippogriff. "It's okay, Beaky." She said softly as she patted the soft coat and felt him sniffing at her hair. "That's a good boy. Calm down."

"You're hurt, Mary." Hagrid said in alarm as she swayed on her feet.

"She needs Madam Pomfrey." Hermione told Hagrid with wide eyes.

"I'm okay." Mary grasped Hermione's arm tightly and whispered into her ear. "Stay and make sure that Malfoy doesn't make a scene."

Ron had overheard her plea and carefully put his arm around her. "I'll get her to the castle, Professor."

Hagrid looked torn at what to do, but at Mary's pleading look, gave in. "Hurry up then."

"You sure you'll make it?" Ron asked worriedly as he helped Mary up the hill.

"Yeah," she grimaced as a cold sweat washed over her and she had to stop. "I'll be okay."

"Malfoy!" Hagrid boomed in the distance. "You'll be gettin' detention with Filch fer a week."

"Why'd you save him?" Ron asked in confusion as he had to keep her from falling over. "Little git deserved to be gored."

"He would have blamed it on Hagrid." Mary answered weakly and swallowed heavily then forced her voice into a high pitched whiny tone. " _'I'll tell my father about this! Have your head and your little bird's too!'_ "

Ron laughed as he led her up the stone steps. "It's scary how spot on that was."

The corridors were empty most of the way through the school. When the bell rang, Mary jumped and blinked wildly as they were suddenly surrounded by students changing classes. They were jostled twice by seventh years who pushed passed them.

"Oy!" Ron snapped. "Watch it!"

Mary stumbled forward and Ron yelped as he tried to keep her from hitting the stone floor, but caught her before she collided with the unforgiving ground.

"Potter!" Oliver ran up to them and stared at her as she knelt on her hands and knees. "What happened?!"

Mary let the two boys help her to her feet and leaned heavily on them as they made it the rest of the way to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was straightening the bed-sheets when they stumbled in and picked up her starched skirts, rushing forward to meet them.

"What have you done now, child?" The matron ground out as she helped Mary sit on the bed.

"Hippogriff." Mary shrugged then winced at the pulling sensation. "My own fault."

"She pushed Malfoy out of the way after he insulted one of them." Ron explained. "Mary wasn't it's target."

"I can mend your back easily enough, but you've lost a lot of blood and the wounds need to be cleansed first." Madam Pomfrey clucked loudly after examining the wounds. "You boys can go."

Ron squared his shoulders. "I'd rather stay, ma'am."

"Me too." Oliver added as he looked down at Mary in sympathy.

"It's fine." Mary pleaded with the matron while forcing herself to stay awake. "Please, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey looked resigned as she helped Mary lay down on her stomach. "I'm going to have to cut the shirt, child."

"'kay." Mary said drowsily.

Oliver grasped her hand and gave her a small smile. Mary winced as the cool air hit the wounds and buried her face in the pillow.

"We'll be starting practice in a week or so." He told her. "And I've gotten a letter from the Puddlemere scouts. They might attend a match or two to see if I'm qualified."

Mary gave his hand a weak squeeze and turned to face him. "You'll do great. I know it."

"It's just for their reserve team." Oliver replied modestly.

"They'll be barmy if they don't pick you." Ron interjected, ever the Quidditch fanatic. "You're the best Keeper in the school!"

Oliver looked about ready to blush.

"This will sting." Madam Pomfrey told her in warning.

Mary gritted her teeth as she felt the burning pain of the cleansing spell sink deep into her flesh.

"Just another minute." Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over Mary's back in a zig-zag motion.

Mary felt her back stitching itself together and sighed in relief as the pain ebbed away. "That wasn't so bad."

Madam Pomfrey glared at her. "You won't be saying that after you drink a dose of Blood Replenisher."

The matron repaired Mary's torn robes and gestured for her to sit up as she walked back to the potion cabinet.

"Oliver!" Mary hissed quietly. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

He shook his head and let out a small laugh. "I have a free period."

Mary looked at her watch and sighed. "We've got to be in Herbology in five minutes."

Ron's face was pale as he looked down at her. "You can't be thinking about going to class after that?! I could see your rib cage!"

"I'm alright now." Mary shrugged and couldn't help but yawn. "Just a little tired. Plus, it'd look better for Hagrid if the whole school doesn't think I'm about to keel over."

"Here we are." Madam Pomfrey handed her a goblet full of frothy red liquid. "Drink it all and you'll be free to go."

Mary shuddered and chugged the entire thing as quickly as she could. When she was finished, she handed the goblet back to the matron and and shook her head.

"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey." Mary said honestly.

Madam Pomfrey patted her hand kindly. "Please don't visit so often."

"I'll try." Mary smiled back at her.

Mary followed Ron and Oliver out of the hospital wing and gave Oliver a quick hug when they parted ways at the Transfiguration classroom.

"I think he'll be a great Keeper for Puddlemere." Mary said breathlessly as she jogged toward Greenhouse Three.

"He's got talent." Ron said wistfully. "I'd like to try out for Keeper someday."

Mary shot a glance at her best mate. "I'll talk to him about training you. We'll need somebody after he graduates."

"Would you?" Ron looked hopeful as he skidded to a halt.

"Sure." Mary patted him on the back as she pulled open the door and walked into the greenhouse.

"Miss Potter, Mr. Weasley." Professor Sprout acknowledged them as they walked in. "Find a table and get to work on planting your puffapod seedlings. You'll need them for the next class."

Ron and Mary found a table next to Hermione and Neville and set up the pots they would need. Neville handed Mary a small spade with a worried look while Ron went to grab another bag of potting soil.

"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered, as she placed a few seedlings in her pot.

"Never better." Mary smiled at her reassuringly. "It was just a few scratches."

Hermione shot her a disbelieving look, shaking her head and muttering under her breath. Ron whispered something to her, causing Hermione to take a deep breath and go back to her work.

"Thanks, Nev." Mary smiled at him when he held out his hand and let her take a few of his seedlings.

She ignored the stares of the Slytherins, and Malfoy's heated glare, as she worked.

The rest of the class passed by peacefully and Mary was grateful when the bell rang and they were able to go back to the dorms and get cleaned up. Knowing that she had Astronomy later that night, Mary changed into her normal uniform robes and went downstairs to her normal spot in front of the fireplace.

"You should have heard the way Daphne railed at Malfoy." Hermione said to Ron as the sat down. "She was practically foaming at the mouth. Even Pansy couldn't calm her down. Bullstrode had to pull her back before she hit him. And poor Hagrid was so distracted that he didn't realize that the Hippogriffs had eaten all of the food until Peaches started getting rather agitated. We ended up getting out of class early  _and_  Hagrid forgot to assign any homework."

"Something good came out of it, eh, Mary?" Ron said, pulling Mary into the conversation.

"Yeah." Mary rubbed at her tired eyes and looked at her watch. "Seven more hours before Astronomy."

"You look beat." Ron said worriedly.

"I could use a nap." Mary chuckled lightly. "Wake me before class?"

"What about dinner?" Hermione asked, as she stood up and brush off her skirt. "You really shouldn't be skipping meals."

"It'll be okay." Ron stopped Hermione with a hand on her arm. "We'll bring her something back."

A group of upper years came thundering down the stairs just as Ron and Hermione walked out of the portrait hole. Mary lifted her head from the arm of the couch and then put it back down, knowing that her chances for actual rest were getting slimmer by the second. She felt the cushion next to hers sink down and an arm pulled her away from her comfortable spot.

"You okay, sis?" Fred asked her.

George picked her up and moved her over so that she was sitting between them. "You look a little pale."

"I'm okay." Mary forced her eyes open. "Just been a long day."

"We heard." Angelina said darkly. "Oliver was about to pop his clogs when he cornered us after class."

Alicia sat down on the arm of the chair. "He said something about Malfoy and you being injured in Hagrid's class."

"We'll teach the little prick a lesson." Fred said and George nodded emphatically.

"Really," Mary sighed and sat up straighter. "Malfoy has been dealt with and if anyone out there is going to get the satisfaction of knocking the stuffing out of him, it's going to be me. I greatly appreciate your concern, but I've got this handled."

Angelina didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? It'd be no trouble."

"I'm sure. Thanks, guys." Mary chuckled and ruffled up the twins hair. "Now I've got to call my godfather at let him know I'm okay before this story ends up in the Prophet too."

Her teammates left for dinner and Mary pulled her two way mirror out of her bag and called for Sirius. After a half hour of waiting with no reply, Mary fell into a restless sleep.

"Shouldn't we just let her sleep?" Parvati whispered. "She must be exhausted."

"She needs to eat." Hermione argued quietly. "She barely touched her food at lunch."

"Maybe whatever potions Madam Pomfrey gave her made her feel ill." Lavender suggested worriedly. "I'm sure Professor Sinastra will understand if she misses one class."

"Mary will be fine." Hermione replied, but her tone suggested that she was concerned none the less.

Mary closed her eyes and wanted to growl when Hermione pulled the covers back slowly. "Wake up, Mary."

"Hey." Mary sighed and blinked at them. "What time is it?"

Hermione looked sympathetic. "Just after seven. I thought you'd need some time to eat and get ready for class."

"Thanks." Mary accepted the napkin that held a small sandwich. "What time is your detention?"

"Half an hour." Hermione said absently as she pulled her book out. "I'm going to get so far behind. It's only been one night and I don't think I'll ever catch up."

Mary grasped her hand. "I'm sorry."

Hermione let out a loud huff, startling Crookshanks. "It's not your fault, it's Professor Snape's!"

"Look," Mary said calmly as she finished the last bite of food. "You know as well as I do that Snape hates me. Please just let it go. I'm more than capable of speaking my mind and defending myself if need be."

"But he was wrong to assign you that detention." Hermione argued.

"Well, yeah." Mary shrugged. "He is the professor though. Not much I can do about it. Just promise that unless it's life or death, you wont try to protect me from Snape."

"I'll try." Hermione grumbled. "Now hush and let me finish this chapter."

Mary finally fell asleep much later that night hoping that things would even out and that her luck would get better, but as always, things never played out that way.

* * *

**September 10th**

The next couple of days passed at a calm pace as everyone settled back in and got used to being back at the castle. Classes went smoothly and Mary was starting to feel like she was finally adjusting to her new wand. Her knowledge of spells had increased ten fold and at times she found herself having to hold back so that her professors didn't suspect something off with her casting. More than once she had seen McGonagall staring at her with an indecipherable look when Mary had completed her transfiguration on the first try. Hermione didn't seem to notice, but mainly because even though she had only served three detentions, she was frantic about falling behind and rarely noticed anything outside of her own textbooks.

At long last, the day came when Mary and her classmates walked into Professor Lupin's classroom and he stood in front them looking healthier and in better spirits than the last time.

"Wands out." He told them kindly before they had a chance to sit. "Place your things on your desks and follow me."

Everyone else looked at each other in a mixture of confusion and shock, while Mary was practically twitching at the thought of doing some real magic.

They walked a few classrooms away and followed Professor Lupin into an unused room where everything was coated in a thick layer of dust. With a wave of his wand, the professor made all of the torches light in sync.

The curious mumbling of the students caused the wardrobe to shake rapidly and let out a long mournful wail, making many yelp and back away.

"It seems the Boggart has noticed our presence." Professor Lupin said casually. "Form a line alternating between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

And so it went. Mary made sure she was in the middle of the line, where she couldn't easily be singled out or left without getting a turn. With Daphne Greengrass in front of her and Tracey Davis behind her, Mary tried to ready her nerves for the Boggart Dementor she was sure would appear.

Daphne's swarm of bees turned into a swarm of singing fireflies and the girl laughed as she turned around. Mary held up a hand and gave the Slytherin a high five for a job well done, causing the other girl to smile at her in pride.

Mary took a step forward and met Professor Lupin's eyes.

"Ready, Mary?" He asked quietly.

She nodded her head and raised her wand, the spell on the tip of her lips. Lupin opened the wardrobe and a thick cloud of black fog poured out before it formed into the shape of a large Dementor.

Mary ignored the shrieks of fear from her classmates and held her wand tighter. "Riddik..."

The icy cold made her teeth chatter and she tried another two times to complete the spell, but failed. Lupin raised his wand to banish the Boggart, but before he could, it changed forms once again.

Professor Lupin stumbled at the sight of the messy haired bespectacled young man that stood in front of Mary.

"You failed." The Boggart said heatedly, as he pointed his wand at her. "And everyone you love will die. I sacrificed myself to give you this chance and this is how you repay me."

"No!" Mary gasped out through chattering teeth.

She reached toward him as the onslaught of memories came rushing back at the sight of her counterpart's face, making her fall to her knees. The weight that had been lifted by the mind altering potions landed on her with full force, leaving her heart and head aching in despair.

" _Riddikulus_!" Lupin butted in, turning the Boggart into a glowing orb and then into a deflating balloon.

He shut the door to the wardrobe with a loud bang and turned around looking grim. "Miss Potter, please go wait in my office."

Everyone turned to stare and Hermione looked at Mary with concerned eyes. Mary put her head down and walked to the door, feeling like she'd been cleaved in two.

"I'll be there as soon as class is over. Help yourself to the chocolate that's on my desk." Professor Lupin said kindly as he held the door open and waited for her to pass through.

Mary sat down in the leather armchair and put her head in her hands.  _How was she going to explain her Boggart? How would Professor Lupin react if she told him the truth? Who would he tell in turn?_

She stood up and paced the floor as she worried about what would happen next. Everyone in there saw the form the creature took. They all heard what it said. But the part that worried her most was that it was right. There was no way she could succeed in her task. She wasn't strong or powerful, she wasn't even all that smart. Her recent ease in classes and spellwork were only because she'd gained the memories of someone who actually worked hard to learn them.

 _No,_  she thought fiercely.  _I can do this, I just have to practice more. The price is too high for me to fail._

"Here." A soft voice interrupted her bout of self-pity almost an hour later.

Mary looked up to see Professor Lupin hold out a small bar of chocolate for her and accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

"I'm truly sorry about making you wait so long." The graying man told her in an earnest soft voice.

"It's okay." Mary replied honestly. "How did the others do?"

"They did admirably." He answered in a subdued tone. "I must apologize again. I had prepared myself for you possibly facing Voldemort or a Dementor as your Boggart. I just wasn't expecting  _that_."

"Me either." Mary let out a small groan and took another bite of chocolate as she waited for him to continue.

"Your father loved you very much." He told her kindly. "He'd never blame you."

Mary stared at him in confusion, then choked on the half chewed piece of chocolate. Professor Lupin pounded her hard on the back until she was able to swallow it.  _He thinks my Boggart was James!_

"I ruined your class." Mary said suddenly, trying to hide her relief. "I'm so sorry. I should have known better than go up there, but I thought I could handle it."

"Whoa." He placed a warm hand on her arm to calm her tirade, then jerked it back quickly.

A thin red blister appeared on his palm from where his hand grazed the silver cuff.

"Are you okay?" Mary gasped in shock. "I'm so sorry. It shouldn't have done that."

"It's nothing you did." He recovered quickly. "Actually, I burnt my hand earlier and had forgotten about it. What I wanted to say, was that I spoke to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall about this class at length." At Mary's sharp look he continued. "We are all aware of your past and our worry was that it may have been too soon, considering the attack on the train."

"The Boggart Dementor was only there for a minute." Mary grumbled.

"Had I known that it would have turned into something so personal, I would have pulled you aside for the class. The fault is my own on that account." Professor Lupin took a step away. "Now your friends are all quite worried about you, Mary. I'll let you go, but please feel free to ask if there is anything I can help you with."

"Thank you, sir." Mary smiled at him and opened the door. "I'll be sure to do that."

She sighed in relief as she went to her next class. While it wasn't a great feeling to lie to the man over her Boggart, she knew there was no way she could explain her situation without being sent to St. Mungo's long term ward. They'd probably put her in the room next to Lockhart.

Mary walked into the History classroom five minutes later and took the seat that Ron and Hermione had saved for her and sat down as quietly as she could, but still, everyone in her year turned to stare or whisper. At first she tried to ignore it but with each passing second she could feel her temper rising.

"Of course Potter's father is going to be ashamed of her." Malfoy said loudly. "Just look at the little runt."

"Shut up, you smarmy little git." Mary ground out.

"Yeah, Malfoy!" Ron stood up next to her.

"Perkins!" Binns said suddenly, stopping his lecture mid-drone. "Weatherby! Both of you will sit down or lose house points."

"Yes, sir." Mary sat back down and pulled Ron back into his seat, ignoring Malfoy's teetering laugh.

Neville turned around and gave Mary a sympathetic look as she pulled out her notebook and began taking short notes of the class. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She smiled weakly. "I'm fine."

The rest of the day was uneventful other than the looks of pity that Mary was getting from her peers. But she squared her shoulders and did her best to seem unfazed and act as normal as she could considering the heavy heart that she'd had since seeing Boggart Harry. But the apparition was right. She had more than enough proof that her dream was really of an alternate vision of the future and other than making a few small changes, she hadn't yet done anything that could change the course of the future.

Just as everyone was getting ready to go to dinner, Mary had a burst of inspiration.

"I forgot to write Sirius." Mary told Ron quickly. "I'll meet you at dinner."

Ron shrugged and resumed his conversation with Seamus about Quidditch.

Mary ran up to her dorm and emptied her bag, leaving only her mirror and invisibility cloak in it. She penned a short note to Hermione, saying that she'd be back later, and left the common room.

As most everyone else was in the Great Hall, Mary was able to make her way to the Room of Requirement without coming across a single soul. The mountains of discarded random possessions were exactly as she remembered from her dream, but seeing with her own two eyes was a whole new experience. She navigated her way around a massive pile of textbooks and imagined Hermione's reaction to seeing them laying about in such a state.

She had just passed a teetering stack of school trunks when a loud voice from behind her made her trip and stumble backwards onto the floor.

" _Mary!"_  Sirius yelled from inside her backpack.  _"Are you there?"_

"Yeah!" She said loudly as she sat up and dug through her bag. "Give me a second."

" _Where are you?"_  He asked in a worried tone.  _"I can't see anything."_

She pulled the mirror from where it had been swaddled in her invisibility cloak and looked down at Sirius's face that brightened at the sight of her.

Mary looked behind her where there was just a blank expanse of stone wall and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just exploring the castle while everyone else is tucking into dinner."

" _Exploring?"_  Sirius asked excitedly.  _"What part of the castle?"_

"Just a small room I found near Gryffindor." Mary shrugged. "I'd never seen the door before and figured I'd check it out."

" _Why are you alone?"_ He interrogated her.  _"And why did you skip dinner? Are you okay?"_

She swore that she'd scream if one more person asked her if she was okay.

"Had a little bit of an accident in Creatures class yesterday, but I'm fine." Mary waved off his concerned look.

" _What happened?"_ He gritted out, looking quite put upon.

Mary gave him the basics of what had happened and was tempted to lock the mirror in a nearby trunk when he began berating her from saving Malfoy and getting herself hurt.

"Look," Mary sighed. "He would have gotten Hagrid into a lot of trouble if he'd been hurt. I don't regret what I did. I only regret not landing a punch on his pointy little face. So I wish you and everyone else would stop acting like I've committed a crime for not wanting my friend sacked and one of his creatures put to death."

" _Okay, kid."_  Sirius rubbed a hand over his face.  _"I understand your motivation, but please try to be more careful in the future."_

"I'll try." Mary promised as honestly as she could. "Will you be coming back to visit Professor Lupin? You really seemed shocked to see each other."

" _Well,"_  Sirius looked thoughtful.  _"It's been twelve years."_

"I think you should try, Siri." Mary said in a hopeful tone. "He seems to be a good person. And considering everything..."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. _"Considering what?"_

"You _know_." Mary gave him a pointed look and had to hold back her mischievous smirk. "I'd rather not say it out loud."

" _You know about that?"_  Sirius whispered.  _"He was always very discreet."_

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Mary said honestly. "And I think it's sweet."

" _Yeah."_ Sirius smiled slightly, then shook his head in confusion.  _"Wait, sweet? What are you talking about?"_

Mary rolled her eyes and let out a loud sigh. "Why the two of you getting back together, of course. What else would I be talking about?"

Sirius's mouth dropped open in shock.  _"We are not together! We have never been together."_

Mary bit her cheek. "There's no need to deny it. I really don't mind. I just want you to be happy and if you want him as a boyfriend..."

" _Lalala."_  Sirius covered his ears and shook his head.  _"No! I mean it, Mary. We were friends. That's all."_

Mary smiled widely. "So you never tweedled his dee and he never tweedled your bu.."

" _Ah!"_  Sirius yelped and glared at her.  _"You and I are having a very long talk when you come home, young lady. And I'll hear no more of this. Remus and I are just friends. I like birds, okay. Birds not blokes."_

Mary stared at him with a straight face. "I know we said no judging, but inter-species relations?"

" _Ladies!"_ Sirius growled.  _"I like ladies. Not actual birds."_

"I know." Mary laughed loudly. "I was just winding you up."

" _Why you little.."_  Sirius trailed off then looked at Mary in wonder.  _"You were pranking me? This whole time?"_

"Yup." Mary chuckled and looked at her watch. "And now I have to go finish my homework."

" _Have fun, kiddo."_  Sirius smiled at her.  _"I love you. And I swear that my vengeance will be swift."_

"Bring it on." Mary taunted him. "Night, Snuggly."

She carefully put the mirror back in her bag and stood up while trying to regain her bearings. And then there it was. The cupboard looked innocent and completely insignificant, but still Mary's heart pounded hard against her ribs. She stood in front of it in trepidation and turned slightly to her left. The chipped bust laid haphazardly on it's side and the dusty wig was a few feet away, partially hidden under a large moth-eaten cloak. A glint of light shimmered off the surface of the tarnished tiara and Mary lurched back at the rush of horror that threatened to overwhelm her.

Even at quite a distance she could feel the evil and ill intent leaking from Voldemort's Horcrux, and despite that, the urge to put on the relic was still great.

"I can do this." Mary told herself as she closed her eyes tightly and took a step back. "I just need gloves and a box."

Steeling herself, she turned around and began searching for what she needed. It didn't take long to find a pair of oversized dragon-hide gloves and a small wooden box that was inlaid in what looked like silver. With shaky hands, Mary plucked the Diadem out of the rubbish pile and dropped it in the box, snapping the lid shut with a little whoop of satisfaction.

" _Accio_  goblin blade?" Mary called out in a hopeful tone.

The sound of something flying through the air made her heart soar right up until she realized it was flying right at her face. Mary dove to the ground just as the small dagger sailed over her head and landed in a trunk right behind where her face had been.

"Don't summon knives." Mary shook her head and made a mental note not to ever try that again.

The small dagger had an iron hilt and blade, with only a small wrapping of leather covering the handle. Mary carefully picked it up and wrapped it in a scrap of cloth then carefully tucked it into her bag.

With minutes to spare before the others returned from dinner, Mary stuffed the box into her knapsack and ran as quickly as she could back to Gryffindor tower. She barely had time to close her trunk, and the Horcrux in it, flop onto her bed and pull the covers over her head before Hermione, Lavender and Parvati walked in.

She could hear their quiet whispers as she lay there, feigning sleep, completely lost in her thoughts.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	9. The First Horcrux

**Sept 11th, 1993**

**Mary Potter**

Saturday morning arrived with a slight chill in the air and Mary had to dig out a warm jumper before she trekked to Professor Snape's office. With her bag slung over her right shoulder, Mary knocked lightly on the door, hoping that she wouldn't be waking up the already grumpy man.

"Enter." Snape drawled.

Mary pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room. Snape stood there, not in his usual black robes, but was garbed in what looked like heavy duty dark brown work trousers, a long sleeved jacket, and heavy boots.

He looked at her attire of jeans and trainers with a sneer.

"I brought work gloves, sir." Mary blurted out under his critical look.

"We'll be going into the Chamber to salvage what we can from the beast." Snape said quickly, ignoring Mary's look of shock. "Lupin will meet us at the second floor lavatory and will be documenting the basilisk."

"Yes, sir." Mary choked out as her heart pounded hard behind her ribcage.

Snape picked up a scroll of parchment, ink, and a quill and handed them to her. "Place these in your bag. It will be your responsibility to take record of everything we harvest and what we leave behind."

Mary looked at the small scroll and quirked an eyebrow. "We'll need more parchment, sir. It was a pretty big snake."

"I doubt that, Potter." Snape sneered as he held the door open.

Mary walked as quickly as she could to keep up with the Potions Master's long strides, all while silently wondering why he chose this for her detention instead of something else. And then she realized that he was probably hoping that taking her back to the Chamber would traumatize her enough not to go on any more adventures. That wasn't likely given her newfound task.

Professors Dumbledore and Lupin both stood in the corridor when they approached and stopped their conversation. They each had a large pack in their hands and Mary assumed that they held what would be needed to harvest the basilisk parts.

"Good morning, Severus, Mary." Dumbledore nodded at them.

"Morning, Headmaster." Mary said quietly. "Professor Lupin."

Professor Lupin smiled warmly and opened the door. "Professor Dumbledore has taken the liberty of distracting our resident ghost so that this little excursion can stay a secret."

Mary looked at Dumbledore in confusion.

"Basilisk parts are used in the Darkest of potions and for very nefarious purposes." He explained calmly. "I felt it wise to not let word get out that there is such a vast amount of rare ingredients in the castle."

"And it will remain a secret." Snape ground out and glared at Mary. "No one outside of this group should know that the Chamber was ever reopened."

"Yes, sir." Mary agreed wholeheartedly. "You have my word."

What her professors didn't know was that she agreed quickly because she didn't want anyone to know that she desperately needed to get that basilisk venom to destroy the Horcruxes. She still didn't know how she would be able to steal some without them noticing.

Mary walked into the restroom and crouched down next to the tap and pointed at it with the tip of her wand. "There is a small snake etched into the pipe."

"Fascinating." Dumbledore replied in an interested tone.

"Makes you wonder why old Slytherin put the entrance to the Chamber in a girl's loo." Mary grumbled.

She could hear Snape grind his teeth in annoyance and she smirked as Professor Lupin coughed to his his own laughter.

" _Open._ " She hissed in Parseltongue.

The group took a step back as the sinks moved, revealing the large pipe.

"This is where it gets messy." Mary shuddered and looked back at the other three. "Who's going first?"

"What's at the bottom?" Professor Lupin asked curiously.

Mary grimaced. "Bones of dead animals. The stench of death. All kinds of nasty."

"Lovely." Dumbledore stared at the pipe.

Mary stepped forward and shrugged before she jumped into the hole. The surprised yells of her companions sounded far away as she slid down the tunnel. Her growth spurt was suddenly a curse as she was slightly taller than she had been last term and the back of her head seemed to hit every curve and bump in the pipe.

At long last her feet hit solid ground and she quickly lit her wand and moved out of the way.

She spun around, her Lumos showing that absolutely nothing had changed in this portion of the tunnel since she was last here with Ron and Lockhart. The bones still littered the ground and the air was still stale and musky smelling.

"Oomph." A man grunted from the tube.

Mary extended her hand and held it out to him when he exited the pipe and landed flat on his back. "You okay, sir?"

"Fine." Snape grasped her hand and she pulled him up just as Lupin slid out, closely followed by Dumbledore.

"You're bleeding." Professor Lupin observed, pointing to Mary's forehead.

Mary looked at her sleeves trying to find one clean enough to mop up the blood, but before she could resort to getting pipe slime in her most recent injury, Snape waved his wand and the pain vanished along with the blood.

"Nifty charm, Professor." Mary whistled appreciatively as she realized that her clothes were now clean too. "We'll be needing that again."

"There aren't any more pipes to go through, are there?" Professor Lupin asked warily.

Mary shook her head. "The ceiling caved in not far from here. We'll have to dig through to the other side."

"How did the ceiling cave in?" Snape shot her an irritated look.

"Lockhart tried Obliviating Ron and I with a broken wand." Mary smirked. "It backfired and kind of made the tunnel explode."

Snape sneered at her tone while Dumbledore shook his head, hiding his amusement. "Lead the way, child."

The tunnels widened just enough that the professors didn't have to duck as they followed Mary through the maze of slime and animal remains. By the time they reached the section where the tunnel collapsed, Mary was almost out of breath and promised herself that she would start to exercise more before Quidditch training began.

"Do you think we can dig through?" Mary asked as Dumbledore examined the wall of rock that blocked their path.

"I don't think we'll need to." He said vaguely as he pulled his wand from his sleeve. "Stand back you three."

Waving the Elder wand in a wide arch, Dumbledore chanted something in Latin and Mary watched in wonder as the boulders and rocks floated into the air before they knitted themselves back together where they were supposed to go, leaving the tunnel as though the cave in never happened.

"That should hold for a few days at least." The Headmaster examined his work.

"Impressive, sir." Mary smiled at him while Professor Lupin snapped a few pictures. "The next door is this way."

They walked further down the path until they finally came to the serpent door. Mary wondered if it was some kind of fail-safe that the chamber had that sealed it when it was unoccupied, because she couldn't think of anyone who would have had the time or ability to close the doors behind her.

" _Open._ " She hissed again, causing the heavy stone door to swing open slowly.

Mary stepped into the Chamber and heard the sharp intake of breath from Professor Snape. She turned and watched as his eyes widened both at the magnitude and detail in the hidden room and the size of the creature that lay dead on the stone floor.

"Merlin." Professor Lupin breathed as he lifted the camera and began taking pictures.

Professor Dumbledore placed a weathered hand on Mary's shoulder. "When I learned that you killed the basilisk, I admit that I was highly impressed, but at the time, we were far more concerned with your health. This is truly an amazing feet, child."

"I had help, sir." Mary shrugged slightly. "I would have been dead within a minute had Fawkes not showed up."

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Dumbledore patted her shoulder and moved toward the head of the great serpent, his hand hovering over the place where Gryffindor's sword went through it's mouth.

"Sirius would have a heart attack if he saw this." Mary heard Professor Lupin whisper to himself and she almost regretted her vow to keep this excursion a secret.

Mary rubbed the crook of her elbow where the fang had through and let out a deep breath, feeling a phantom ache in her bones.

"Five points for not bringing enough parchment, Potter." Snape drawled. "You should know to be better prepared."

"Yes, sir." Mary replied to the backwards compliment, trying her best to hide the smirk that threatened to pop up on her face.

They worked quickly for what seemed like hours. Snape and Dumbledore started at the tail end and worked their way forward, both gathering what was useful and destroying what remained. Mary was tasked with documenting the salvaged ingredients and storing them in the shrunken crates that Dumbledore had brought.

"When a crate is filled," Dumbledore instructed, "simply place the piece of parchment on the lid that labels what ingredients are inside and tap it with your wand. It will go to a secure location where it will be safe until needed."

"Won't using magic on the crates disturb the properties of the ingredient, sir?" Mary asked, remembering the chapter in her textbook about storing potions ingredients safely.

"Ah, a good question." Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "These crates are charmed to carry such things safely. Although I think you've earned twenty points for pointing out a common mistake most make when transporting volatile ingredients."

Mary took her job very seriously and was sure to catalog everything as neatly and precisely as she could. But the closer they came to harvesting the fangs, the more nervous she became.

Professor Lupin walked forward handing her a vial of black liquid that looked like it was boiling with flecks of gold within it. "Another bottle of venom."

"I'm out of parchment, but I think I have more in my bag." She said quickly, trying to keep her heart from racing.

Mary carefully took the vial and waited for him to turn before she bent over the crate. She reached down and covertly placed the vial in her pack while seeming as though she was looking for more parchment.

She found a half a scroll in the bottom of her bag and sat back down where she continued her work.

The rest of the morning was spent in this fashion until they had gathered everything deemed useful. Mary was very glad when she sent the last crate to it's unknown location and waited patiently for the others to finish looking around. She desperately needed a long shower, but more than that, she needed to get that vial of basilisk venom somewhere safer than her backpack.

At long last, some five hours after they started out, the group of four were back in the girl's lavatory.

"That was fun." Mary grumbled as she looked at her slimy robes. "I think I may have to burn these. Somehow cleaning charms just don't seem like enough."

Professor Lupin looked down at his own robes in dismay. "I agree."

"Your help has been invaluable." Professor Dumbledore told them as he waved his wand and shot a high powered cleaning charm at all of them. "You're all welcome to join me in my office for a very late breakfast."

Mary looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I think I'm just going to go drown myself in a vat of soap."

Dumbledore smiled kindly as he held the door open. "Have a good day, child."

Mary walked quickly through the corridors, avoiding anybody that got in her path, and quickly made her way to Gryffindor Tower just as everyone left for lunch. She smirked when a firstie boy wrinkled his nose at the smell that wafted off of her and knew for a fact that she was burning everything she had on.

After a very long shower, Mary got ready and made her way back to the Room of Requirement where she requested a large stone room. As though it knew the purpose she had, the room had even supplied her with a small alter on which she could place the Diadem.

She opened the box that held the artifact and dumped the seemingly innocent item onto the stone table, then turned and pulled the vial of venom and the dagger out of her bag.

After donning her spare dragon hide gloves, she carefully opened the vial and dunked the small goblin blade into the thick angry liquid and watched in fascination as the sharp piece of iron seemed to soak it up. She stoppered the vial and carefully placed it in the wooden box then turned back to her task.

"Here goes nothing." Mary sighed, stabbing the Diadem as hard as she could.

A shrill shriek sounded through the room, echoing off of the stone walls as a cloud of thick gray smoke appeared and disappeared in quick succession. Mary was thrown backwards by the aftershock and barely caught herself before she landed on the stone floor.

A low chuckle caught in her throat as the air cleared around her. "Two down. Five to go."

* * *

**October 9th**

Summer quickly faded into autumn and came the time for Quidditch practice to begin. On a particularly cold Saturday morning, Mary was woken at five thirty by a very irritated Angelina.

"Come on, Mary." Angelina yawned widely. "Oliver is demanding the whole team be out on the pitch in five minutes."

Mary rushed to get dressed and followed the other girl down the stairs while pulling her hair up into a messy bun. Angelina handed her her broom and quickly covered her mouth as she yawned again.

"Think he's going to do this often?" Mary asked as she placed her new practice snitch in her pocket.

"I hope not." Angelina groaned as they met up with the others in the common room. "This is my OWL year and I'd rather not fail because I can't stay awake in class."

Mary grimaced in sympathy as they shuffled out of the portrait hole and made their way towards the grounds. It was foggy as ever and even their wandlight failed to show they were on the correct path. Fred tripped on a small root and George steadied him with a sigh.

"That's it!" Alicia ground out. "On your brooms everybody! I'm going to cast a point me glow spell that will lead us to the pitch without all of us dying of exhaustion first."

She whipped her wand through the air and a small blue glowing orb floated just in front of them. With another wave of her wand, Alicia sent the orb floating a few feet in front of them, close enough that they could still see it in the heavy mist.

Mary mounted her Nimbus in a hurry, not wanting to be left behind. The cool moist air clung to her face and hands as she slowly got her bearings. The chill was working wonders on waking her up, she just hoped she wouldn't drown in the cloud that seemed to have invaded the dark grounds.

She tried to cast a drying spell on her clothes, but it failed marvelously. It took her a minute to realize she was using the wrong wand in the wrong hand.  _What a lovely way to start the weekend._  She thought grimly, swapping wands and making sure that her Muggle hand didn't touch the broom handle. Clutching the broom between her knobby knees, Mary cast drying and heating charms on her teammates. While they, like her, were capable of casting the charms themselves, she could hear their chattering teeth and knew that they weren't awake enough to think of just how brilliant magic could be.

"That's better." Angelina grinned at her. "Thanks, Mary. Let's just hope that warming charm doesn't send Fred straight to sleep."

"There you all are!" Oliver shouted from a distance. "You were supposed to be here over three minutes ago! Three minutes in a game like Quidditch could be the difference between winning or losing! And I will not lose!"

"I'm going to stuff your head down the nearest loo and leave Myrtle as your bodyguard." Katie snapped. "You had us up at the arse-crack of dawn on the effing foggiest day this year and want to complain about three minutes!?"

"We need to practice!" Oliver argued heatedly.

"We need to sleep!" Fred and George shouted in unison.

Mary raised her hand. "I'm going to need some kind of charmed glasses to see the Snitch in this shit."

"Get up there and get into Mockingbird position." Oliver sighed loudly. "We'll practice closer quarter maneuvers until the fog lets up."

"I've brought a practice Snitch." Mary handed the small golden ball over to her captain. "It's set on arena settings now. It shouldn't leave the pitch."

"Nice." Oliver said appreciatively, testing the weight in his hands. "I'll release it when those five are ready."

Mary angled her broom up and hovered just above the others, keeping her eyes trained on her teammates.

Oliver whistled loudly, letting go of the Snitch, and then the weight of the world fell from Mary's shoulder's as she concentrated on nothing but finding the elusive little glint of gold.

Practice lasted for close to four hours and stopped only when McGonagall shouted at them to return to the ground.

"I'm very glad that you are all taking Quidditch season seriously this year, but Oliver, you should have the sense to let your teammates eat." McGonagall said as Annie popped into view hovering several trays of food onto a table that McGonagall conjured. "I don't see how practice is possible in this weather anyway."

The fog was still as heavy as it had been hours before, clinging to anything and everyone it came across. Mary had given up on the drying charms, as they only lasted a few minutes at the most. The heating charms only made the humidity worse and she could tell that a few of her teammates had cast it a few times just by the smell of them.

Mary sat down at the table and sighed in relief when McGonagall cast a large bubble charm, sheltering them from the mist. "Ah. That's better."

She had just taken a swig of pumpkin juice when George stood up from the table quickly. "Ange, you reek."

Juice flowed from both of Mary's nostrils and she choked harshly on the sweet liquid trapped in her sinuses. Alicia's jaw dropped, as did Fred's, when Angelina stiffly stood up to stare George in the eyes.

"So do you!" She growled.

"Just eat." McGonagall hissed, putting a hand between the two and wrinkling her nose. "And be sure that you launder everything you're wearing."

Mary wiped her mouth on her napkin and set to heaping food onto her plate. She didn't want to know what Lavender or Parvati would say at her appearance or stench, but really, she didn't care. She wanted food, a hot shower and a good week's worth of sleep.

"Oliver?" Mary asked the captain who was grudgingly eating his breakfast while staring at the goals on the end of the pitch. "Would you be interested in training a reserve Keeper?"

Oliver looked up at her in confusion. "You? You're a textbook Seeker. Better even."

"No." Mary held up a hand to stop him before he could start ranting. "My friend Ron Weasley is wanting to try out next year, but I thought it'd be best for the team if he has a bit of a head start. Don't want to have to find a Keeper last minute when you're off playing for Puddlemere."

"Reserve Team." Oliver corrected her. "But it's a good idea to get another Keeper in the works. Have him come by next practice and we'll see how it goes."

"Just as long as it's not at five in the effing morning." Fred winked at Mary. "Ron doesn't do mornings."

And so it went. Life at Hogwarts resumed at it's normal pace, or what could be seen as normal when you lived at a magical school. The Daily Prophet showed the Hit-Wizards progress on slowly rounding up the wayward Dementors. Fudge looked more inept than ever after Sirius' trial. Everyone seemed to love Professor Lupin. And no one tried to kill Mary since the incident on the train. All in all she couldn't ask for a better time.

But little did she know that It wouldn't always be that way, for everything that she changed, something quite new and unexpected would crop up, leaving her even more lost about what to do next.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	10. The Death Anniversary

**Mary Potter**

It wasn't until the eve of Halloween that life in the third year dorms became suddenly more tense.

Mary was practicing her knowledge of hexes, trying to get the wand movements right with her left hand, while Lavender and Parvati oohed and ahhed over their dream journals from Divination. Just as they had been in Harry's universe, the two girls were mystified by Professor Trelawney, always taking each word the woman said with the utmost seriousness.

Hermione was sitting cross legged on her bed behind a mountain of tomes, her quill scratching away at a long roll of parchment, glancing up every few minutes with a scowl on her face.

"Last night I dreamed that Seamus and I were snogging in the middle of potions class?" Lavender giggled loudly. "What do you think that means?"

"Will you two just SHUT UP!" Hermione slammed her book closed and stared at the two shocked girls with a beet red face. "I'm trying to study. Actually trying to further my education so that I can have a steady career. And all I can hear is you two nattering on about;  _'Who's hot and who's not, robes, make-up and hairstyles!'_  You're so vain that you can't see that half the boys you're talking about wouldn't look at you twice! Also, your obsession with Trelawney is unfounded and disgraceful as she regularly predicts the death of someone you claim to be friends with." She spun around and pointed her finger at Mary with a narrowed gaze. "And  _you_  have been secretive, and quite positively downright evasive about what you're up to. And I know you're up to something, because you're actually studying that book on hex removal! All that waving your wand and muttering under your breath is distracting! When all I want is some bloody peace and quiet!"

Hermione stormed out with angry tears rolling down her cheeks, leaving Mary to damage control.

Mary looked over at Lavender and Parvati with a resigned sigh. They were both wearing the same indignant and highly offended expressions, that told Mary that Hermione's words had both hurt and angered them both.

"I'll go talk to her." Mary told them quietly. "She didn't mean it, really. I think she's just stressed out."

Mary ran down the stairs, and upon not seeing Hermione, left the common room. She just caught the sight of Hermione's bushy hair rounding the corner as she stepped through the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady who yelped in surprise.

Mary sprinted down the stone steps until she caught up with her friend, who was sniffling and huffing loudly.

"Hermione!" Mary finally yelled, when the other girl showed no interest in stopping. "Wait!"

Hermione spun around, dark circles under her red rimmed eyes, looking furious as ever. "I don't want to talk right now, Mary. And I'm not going to apologize."

Mary lurched back at her tone and stood stock still. "So you really think you're justified in treating us like that?"

Hermione squared her shoulders. "When none of you put forth a real effort in your schooling? Yes. I do."

Mary's heart dropped into her feet. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Well, I won't apologize for being right." Hermione sniffed, rubbing a stray tear from her eye. "The three of you don't give one wit about the fact that I'm actually applying myself to my work."

"But you're wrong." Mary pleaded with her. "We know how hard you've been working! But at the same time, we are four individual people. We don't have to like or want the same things. That's something you're going to have to accept and move past."

"I won't." Hermione argued. "It's my dorm too and I should feel comfortable there!"

Mary stared at Hermione in confusion. "So the rest of us should be quiet? Seen and not heard? Having to walk on eggshells in the room that is meant to be our home for most of the year?"

"So you're taking their side?" Hermione ground out. "I thought we were better friends than that."

Hermione spun around and left without another word, leaving Mary standing there with a heavy heart.

Mary went back to Gryffindor Tower and curled up in an armchair by the fire, staring into the flames and wondering if saving the world was worth it if she lost her friends in the end.

Hours later, little Colin Creevey ran into the Gryffindor common room, saying that Professor McGonagall needed to see both her and Hermione.

Mary stood up and ran a hand over her robes, rushing down to McGonagall's office fearing the worst. Was something wrong with Sirius or Dobby? Hedwig had visited her just that morning, so she knew it wasn't her, and everyone else she care for was currently at Hogwarts. So what could it be?

Mary walked into the open room minutes later, breathing heavily as she'd ran most of the way there. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"You are to be at the entrance hall at eight o'clock this evening." McGonagall didn't bother to look up from the parchment she was focused on. "You're free to leave, Potter. I have other students to see."

Confused, Mary walked out with her mind whirling at what she'd done to irritate Professor McGonagall and wondered as to why she was being summoned after dinner on Halloween. Professor McGonagall stood as well and escorted her to the door.

Hermione was sitting on the bench beside the office with a worried look plastered on her face when Mary walked out.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall gestured for Hermione to follow her into the large room. "Come in and have a seat, please."

Hermione turned around and looked at Mary in stunned silence before quickly sitting down. "Colin said that you needed to see me, Professor?"

"Yes," McGonagall replied heavily, then turned to Mary with a nod. "Close the door, Potter."

Mary nodded and gave one last mournful look to Hermione's nervous form before exiting the room.

She was to nervous to join in with the raucous celebrations everyone was having in Gryffindor tower and eventually sequestered herself to a bench just inside the entrance hall, wondering what was going on.

"There you are." Sirius' voice sounded from behind her, making her spin around to face him. "I thought I'd surprise you."

"Hey," she said quietly, when he wrapped her up in a small hug. "What are you doing here?"

Sirius looked pale and unsure, making Mary wonder what had happened. Her confusion must have shown because Sirius sighed loudly and shook his head.

"Dumbledore and I were talking earlier and he let it slip that you've never been back to Godric's Hollow." Sirius told her quickly, his voice shaking. "I know this means missing the first day in Hogsmeade, but with the Dementors still around I figured it'd be safer for you to skip it."

It took her a fraction of a second to follow his train of thought. When it finally clicked in place, Mary took a step back, suddenly nervous. "Oh."

"We don't have to go if you don't feel up to it." Sirius assured her.

"No." Mary shook her head. "I'm okay. I'd really like to go."

Sirius ran a hand over his face. "Alright then, shall we?"

It occurred to her that it was probably Sirius' first time going back there too. It was evident in the way his hands slightly trembled while they walked to the main gates where the Apparition barrier was located.

He wrapped his arms around her when they finally passed through the iron archway. "Hold tight and I'll Apparate us both."

Mary nodded silently, afraid that her composure would break if she spoke. It unnerved her to see her normally jovially and joking godfather so rattled. She buried her face into his robes as the world turned inside out, turning and twisting in a way that made her stomach roll.

They appeared on a small quiet street. The lights from the surrounding houses cast an eerie glow on the pavement that made the hair on Mary's arms stand on end. She looked up at the only house on the street that remained unlit and almost stopped breathing.

Sirius looked pale and unsure, making Mary wonder what had happened. Her confusion must have shown because Sirius sighed loudly and shook his head.

Sirius let out a small choking noise as he gazed at the wreckage. Time had taken it's toll on the small cottage. The tiny yard looked unkempt and overgrown. Faded and peeling paint covered the wooden planks, leaving the once cute home looking like something out of a horror film.

 _This was my home._ Mary thought, putting her hand on the wrought iron gate. _I was loved here._

Sirius' hand landed lightly on top of her's and squeezed lightly. "I'm so sorry."

She looked up at him with watery eyes. "I'm sorry too."

They had both lost so much on that night twelve years ago. Both of them had been forced to delay their grief while life got in the way. But here and now, they couldn't help but face the tragedy that Voldemort had caused.

The gate clicked open and Mary stepped forward, shrugging off Sirius' grip. The paving stones shifted under her feet as she made her way to the door that opened without even so much as a creak. Her father's voice echoed in her mind as she stepped into the entry way. A flash of green out of the corner of her eye when her hand grasped the handrail. Her mother's pleas sounded through her mind when she stepped onto the landing. The door stood open, half hanging from the hinges. The caved in roof hovered above her as she stood in the room that used to be her nursery.

She could see the green eyed child staring up at her with tears rolling down her small round face.

"Mary!" Sirius grasped her by the shoulder's, breaking the trance.

She looked up at him with cold eyes. "I'm going to kill him."

Sirius looked back at her in a mixture of shock and horror. "You shouldn't have come in here. The house is unstable."

"I remember it." She replied, gesturing to the demolished room. "I've seen it from his point of view and mine. The Dementors brought it all back."

Sirius choked back a gasp and shook his head in sorrow. "You were too young. Lily, James, you were all too young to be a part of the war."

"So were you." Mary gripped his hands tightly, feeling the tremors that ran through his arms as he stared at the scorched part of the wall. "You're right. Let's get out of here."

"This wasn't part of the plan when I brought you out of the castle." Sirius smiled sadly as they exited the house. "I thought we could both find some peace and closure."

"Plans are meant to be changed." Mary shrugged, trying to rid herself of the cold feeling.

Together they walked side by side into the cemetery just down the street. Sirius looked from headstone to headstone in search of the right one, but Mary knew which way to go. Her feet carried her to the double marble headstone of their own volition. The pull to her parent's last resting place was tugging at her like a Portkey. She had seen it in the dream, but in person it was so much more surreal.

As a child she had always hoped that some unknown relation would rescue her from the Dursley prison and tell her that it had all been a huge mistake. Her imagination wanted her to believe that someone would save her from their non stop stream of insults and degradation.

More than that, she had hoped and prayed that her parents were alive and that some unfortunate accident had separated them and they had been searching for her the whole time.

Mary ran her hand across the cold marble tombstone, knowing that while she had been given the chance to remake the future, there would never be a way to get her parents back.

"I miss you." She whispered to them.

Sirius knelt down beside their graves and his shoulder's shook while he silently cried over his lost friends. Mary didn't hear the words he said, but stared into the starry sky as she gripped his hand and sat beside her godfather.

It was closure that her godfather needed.

It was revenge that she longed for.

It was the wake up call that echoed through both her mind and bones. Over the past few months, she'd been treating the dream as the next grand mysterious adventure. While she had always done her part to ensure that Voldemort never rose again, she had been quite careless and almost gotten her friends killed time and time again. She wouldn't make that mistake again. No one could ever know of her dream. Her friends and new-found family would never be involved in her mission to destroy Voldemort. She would protect them with her own life if she had to.

And she knew she would have to sooner than she'd liked.  _I'm a Horcrux, mum._

"Are you ready?" A red eyed Sirius looked over at her.

"Yeah." She nodded once, before looking back at the tombstone.  _I'll see you in just a few short years, mum and dad. Maybe sooner._

Her godfather pulled her into a hug and Apparated back to their flat in Diagon Alley, effectively pulling Mary out of her morose farewell plea.

"I thought we were going back to Hogwarts?" Mary looked at him in confusion.

Sirius shrugged. "It's the weekend. I'll Floo Dumbledore if you want to stay."

"Damn straight." Mary nodded heavily, then walked into her room and flopped onto her bed with a sigh.

Her dreams that night took on an odd twisted form. She watched from above, as though viewing the scene on the telly, as a young Harry Potter woke up with a cold sweat, staring in confusion to the pale walls of St. Mungo's.

She witnessed him going with McGonagall to get his supplies and being left at the Dursleys. It was though everything that had happened to her was now happening to him. They both reacted and thought the exact same way, leaving no doubt in her mind that somehow her actions were being used in some kind of weird time warp.

And then suddenly the scenes changed from mundane to outright horrific. Cedric's dead eyes stared up at her. Sirius fell through the Veil while Remus held her back.

Mary screamed and screamed, trying to escape from the horror she was forced to watch. Finally she opened her eyes and gasped, taking in short stuttering breaths to try and alleviate the pain in her heart and lungs.

She dragged a shaky hand up her face, pulling back the strands of hair that clung to her cheeks, then sat up in her bed. The Muggle clock on her bedside table showed that it was just after two in the morning, but Mary didn't think she could fall back asleep tonight, let alone ever.

Stumbling out of her room and across the hall to the toilet, she promptly expelled everything that she had eaten in the past day. It was there, leaning between the tub and commode, that she finally let herself break down. There were no heavy sobs or tears, only an overwhelming sense of grief that assaulted her body like a tidal wave.

The heavy burden of Fate hung over her like a dark cloud. Each and every time she closed her eyes she saw the blinding flash of green light encompassing her. Just over thirteen years old and she had already received her death sentence.

There would be no time to pursue a career. She would have to endure years of her classmates falling in and out of love and friendships, knowing that there was no future for her beyond Voldemort. Wanting anything more seemed like a fool's errand.

The mirror shattered under her emotional assault. Tile cracked in response to her boiling anger. Steam burst from the pipes, spraying everything in the room.

It was all too much.

She sat there for hours, letting all of it wash over her again and again until she felt drained. With swollen and puffy eyes she finally registered the damage that she had caused. Nothing was left unbroken. Her pale skin was beet red from steam burns and large gashes covered most of her body where pieces of tile and glass had embedded into the tender flesh.

A light knock on the door sounded before it swung open. Sirius stood there bleary eyed, almost ready to step into the mess, when Mary flung her hand up to stop him.

"Watch out for the glass!" She hissed at him in worry. "I kind of wrecked it."

"Mary?" He said as the sleepy haze instantly evaporated. "What happened in here?"

She looked down in shame and embarrassment, shaking her head. "I don't know, really. I didn't mean to. I swear, Sirius."

"You're bleeding." Sirius growled lowly, staring at her crimson stained pajamas.

She tip-toed through the wreckage, pushing a sopping wet hot flannel across the floor to clear a path. "I'll get my wand and repair this mess. I'm so sorry."

Sirius ignored her and cast the needed spells to repair the damage. "Go sit at the table while I get Pomfrey."

"No!" Mary yelped, grabbing his arm as he started for the fireplace. "I can manage on my own. She's going to get all kinds of nasty if she sees me like this."

Sirius stared at her for a long moment then sighed. "Okay, kid. I'll do my best to patch you up, but if I can't then you're just going to have to deal with her. Or I'll be dragging you to St. Mungo's."

"Thanks." Mary breathed in relief.

Sirius ended up being far better at healing than he claimed to be, and before long only Mary's unmagical arm was the only evidence of injury. Her godfather carefully cleaned and bandaged the wounds, quietly talking to her all the while about how he learned healing by helping a friend that had been very accident prone.

He didn't ask any more questions about her episode, nor did he give any inclination that they would talk about it later. It was something that she felt greatly appreciative about, because she couldn't stomach the thought of putting that kind of pain into words, especially when Sirius had endured so much already.

After making sure that she was going to be okay, Sirius went back to his room to catch up on sleep while Mary was left alone with her thoughts. She laid down on the over-sized leather couch and stared at the crackling fire, letting the numbness wash over her.

She spent the rest of the morning and day making Sirius laugh with various stories about the school year, hoping to keep the mood lighthearted and calm. They had a nice dinner with Dobby that evening, enjoying the way the little elf had opened up and now talked freely about his thoughts and opinions.

"Look, kid." Sirius winced and ran a hand through his hair. "I've never been one for mushy talks. And I'm certainly not the best person to be giving advice, but if you need to talk, about anything. I'm here for you."

Mary knew that he was referring to her episode in the bathroom and felt a rush of shame for putting him in the middle of her problems. "Thanks, Siri. Love you."

"I love you too, pup." He hugged her tightly while trying not to upset the wounds on her arm.

Mary Floo'ed back to Hogwarts that evening, and by some stroke of luck, McGonagall wasn't there, leaving her able to make it back to the common room without garnering any extra attention.

She stepped through the portrait hole quickly, wanting to get the last of her homework finished before Monday's lessons, only to see Hermione standing in the common room looking both pale and furious. She took one look at Mary and sprinted towards the girls dorm without a word.

Ron stood from the armchair by the fire and walked over with a slightly aggravated stance.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" He asked quietly, sitting next to the roaring fire. "She ran in here the other night crying and when I tried to talk to her she said that you betrayed her."

Mary's mouth dropped open in confusion. She'd been gone all weekend and had hoped that Hermione would be in a better mood when she returned.

"I may not have taken her side in the argument, but betrayal is a bit harsh." Mary tugged at the edge of her sleeves in annoyance, trying to keep the wounds out of sight. "She lashed out at Lav, Parvati, and I over being loud while she was trying to study and then stormed out."

Ron looked torn between agreeing wholeheartedly and wanting to stand by Hermione. "Well.. I mean... going to McGonagall was a bit of a leap. You know how Hermione is."

"What?!" Mary lurched back in horror. "I didn't go to McGonagall about anything!"

Hermione stood at the bottom of the stairs and glared at both of them. "Talking about me behind my back? Again?"

"I'm just trying to figure out what the eff is going on." Mary stood and stared at her friends in shock. "Ron just finished telling me that I'd gone too far by getting McGonagall involved. I never even mentioned you to McGonagall."

"Really?" Hermione brushed angry tears from her face. "So you were just visiting her when she decided to drop me from two classes?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mary hissed back, garnering the attention of the others in the common room. "McGonagall called me to her office because Sirius was coming to pick me up."

"I don't believe you!" Hermione threw her hands in the air. "It's too big of a coincidence. Not to mention the fact that there is no reason for him to show up in the middle of term.!"

"Well you and everybody else may have been too busy studying or eating at the grand feast to notice," Mary ground out, "but Halloween happens to be the anniversary of my parents' death! And my godfather took me to visit their graves! The only thing McGonagall said to me was that I was needed in the entrance hall. You never came up in that  _very_  short conversation."

Her vision was tinged with red. She couldn't believe that Hermione of all people would think of her as so untrustworthy. Ron looked from Mary to Hermione, his freckles standing out starkly on his pale face. Hermione's mouth dropped open in realization, her eyes staring pointedly at her feet.

Accidental magic could a beautiful thing, Mary realized, when her broom floated down the stairs to hover in front of her. Her hand shook as she grasped the handle and spun around, leaving the common room and the numerous stares behind.

It had been stupid to blurt out her whereabouts, she shouldn't have to explain, but they were her friends! She shouldn't have to hide anything from them. Let alone how much it hurt to spend the past two Feasts watching everyone laugh and having a grand time while inwardly all she could think of was the family that she lost.

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

Ron watched her leave, feeling torn between his best friends. Hermione sat heavily on the steps and put her head in her hands, her shoulder's shaking slightly.

"You were wrong to accuse her." Ron told her gently. "You know she wouldn't have done something like that."

"We went to McGonagall." Lavender walked over, with Parvati trailing close beside her. "After everything that happened with Ginny last year, we were scared that you were possessed."

Hermione looked up at them in shock. "Why would you think that?"

"You've been acting really weird lately." Parvati nodded emphatically. "Like scary weird."

"We didn't mean for you to get in trouble." Lavender sighed.

"We were just worried about you." Parvati added. "Professor Trelawney said that one of our number would leave us and we didn't want it to be you."

Hermione nodded, tears dripping down her face. "I guess I better find Mary and apologize."

"Stay, Hermione." Ron put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go talk to her. She might need some time to calm down. I know I always do when one of my brothers tick me off."

He found Mary on the pitch, gliding effortlessly across the evening sky, looking as though the world was about to crumble down around her.

"You okay up there?" Ron shouted, reaching for the storeroom door where the school brooms were kept.

Mary flew down and landed a few feet away, hopping off her broom and marching toward him. "I'm fine. Take my broom and I'll get one of those. We'll start training you for Keeper."

"Now?" Ron caught the stony glare she sent him and winced. "Okay, guess now's fine."

"Wood wants you at next team practice, so we don't have much time." She pushed the Nimbus 2000 into his hands and pulled one of the better school brooms from the rack. "Well, get going."

Lift off was a little wobbly as he tried to learn the new broom. The Nimbus was far faster than any broom he'd ever been on and he couldn't believe that Mary was trusting him with it. He'd always loved flying and truly hoped that he'd make the team one day, but it just never seemed to be a possibility. He knew he'd never be qualified enough.

She flew up next to him and pointed at his hands. "You're holding on too tight. That's why it's so jumpy. Just relax and you'll be fine. You've been flying for years. You know how to do this, Ron."

He did as she said, holding back the small pang of annoyance at having her tell him what to do. The broom was wonderful! Once he relaxed it seemed as though the Nimbus could read his mind. All of his earlier annoyances were forgotten as he gave in to the sheer pleasure of the cool wind biting into his skin as he flew in small looping circles.

"Get to the goals!" Mary ordered him in a teasing tone while she conjured a large round ball.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to the pumpkin sized orange sphere in her hand.

"Muggle basketball." Mary shrugged, pulling her arm back and throwing the ball. "The Quaffles are locked up in Hooch's office."

Ron darted forward and stopped it from flying through the far right hoop. He had kind of expected her to take it easy, but Mary tried to put him through the ringer, conjuring more and more basketballs until Ron's vision was filled with orange blurs flying by his face at high speed.

"Nice form, Weasley!" A deep voice boomed from the ground.

Ron looked down and his heart jumped into his throat at the sight of Oliver Wood and the rest of the Gryffindor team watching them with wide smiles.

"Told you he was good." Mary laughed quietly as she landed next to her teammates.

Ron's heart swelled at the praise and he carefully maneuvered the broom to the grass. His brothers slapped his back and ruffled his hair as he tried and failed to get away from them in time. Mary gave him a high five and smiled proudly at him.

"Be at each and every practice." Wood ordered him, then turned to the others. "I won't have anyone say that I left my team unprepared."

Ron was so ecstatic over Wood's statement that he completely forgot the whole reason why he had followed Mary. But the next morning when breakfast started, he finally realized that he was out of his element and that his best friends would have to work things out for themselves.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	11. The Quidditch Accident

**Mary Potter**

Mary didn't sleep that night, she sneaked out of the dorm and made her way to the Room of Requirement, where she sat in the lone chair in the empty room, seven years of textbooks spread out over the long coffee table. Starting with simple first year spells, Mary practiced casting and mastering each and every one. Her pattern of late night studying continued for the rest of the week, sometimes leaving her so tired that she barely made it through the day without falling asleep.

The morning of November sixth dawned in darkness that made the cold morning seem more like late evening. Thick dark clouds swirled around, bringing heavy rain and gale force winds, promising an unpleasant match. The Slytherin team had suddenly become mysteriously ill the night before and the Hufflepuffs had tried and failed to bow out of the competition.

Mary sat with the rest of her teammates while they picked at their breakfast looking grim and slightly green. Her eyes caught the sight of bushy brown hair and she looked up to see Hermione sitting next to Neville with a sad frown on her face.

It had been close to a week since Mary had spoken to her best friend. The absence of her friendship felt like a gaping hole in Mary's heart, but she knew better than to confront the other girl about their argument. Ron had asked her about the situation and Mary was quick to change the subject.

It just wouldn't do for Hermione to apologize. She wanted the other girl to truly trust her, and respecting her space and making sure she wasn't disturbed was the only way Mary could think of to help her out. She had even gone as far as teaching an area based Silencing Charm to Lavender and Parvati. It was the only way to keep things in their dorm from grating on the studious girl's nerves.

Oliver stood jerkily and slapped his palm on the table, upsetting Angelina's tea and pulling Mary from her thoughts, then leaned over to stare each of them down. "Don't show them that the weather bothers you. I don't want to see or hear any of you complaining about it. We're going out there and we're going to play until our arms freeze off or we win with at least a few hundred points."

Mary nodded along with the rest of them, popping a sweet into her mouth to drown out the rancid taste of bile that emerged when she looked at the way the wind was ripping the leaves off of the trees.

"Let's just scare the pants off of 'em." George smirked.

Fred leaned forward and stared each of them in the eye. "What my dear brother is trying to say is, act happy about the gruesome conditions. Look at your opponent and smile widely."

"We're Gryffindors." Mary added. "Fear is our bitch. Now let's get out there so I can catch that Snitch."

She clamped a hand over her mouth as the others gaped at her in shock. Sirius would pay dearly for the innocently marked pack of sweets that he had sent her. And Hedwig would get a talking to for delivering them.

Fred and George exchanged smirks then laughed uproariously. Angelina, Katie, and Alicia all chuckled as they pulled Mary to her feet. Oliver shook his head, but upon seeing the wary looking Hufflepuffs sending them confused stares, he let a maniacal smile spread across his face.

"Ate a Lime sweet that Sirius sent me." Mary tried to explain. "Let's bounce to this beat cause I've got to pee."

"No talking during the match, Potter." Oliver whispered to her while moving to the front of the group.

"Go get 'em." Ron patted her hard on the back.

They walked out of the Great Hall talking loudly with their heads held high. Mary could see that George was right, just because the circumstances were unappealing, it didn't mean they had to trudge through. It was all about how you viewed it. While the weather was horrible, she knew that their team was more than skilled to endure whatever the storm threw at them.

"I've learned a long lasting water proofing charm." Angelina tapped her on the shoulder with her wand when they were in the changing room. "It should keep you dry for a few hours at least."

"Thanks." Mary replied, then sighed in relief when she wasn't forced to speak a lame rhyme. "Anything we can do about the cold?"

"Illegal in all matches." Alicia grimaced. "Just stay moving and you shouldn't freeze to death."

"Lovely." Katie groaned, rubbing her hands together over the wood stove.

"It's pissing buckets out there." Angelina adjusted her gloves, trying not to stare out of the tiny window.

"Time to walk out." Mary winced, then turned and smiled at her teammates in mock happiness. "Time to get happy about the cold pouring rain, girls!"

Katie opened the door and the wind slung it open with a crash. She tapped Angelina on the shoulder and chuckled. "Tag. Your it!"

Katie ran onto the pitch, laughing as she slipped and slid through the mud. Mary was hot on her heels as was Alicia, all trying to stay away from Angelina who looked like she was wanting revenge. They slid up next to the boys, brooms over their shoulders as they kicked clumps of mud at each other.

"Well it looks like the Gryffindor team hasn't gotten the owl about the weather." Lee Jordan announced from the stands. "And here comes Madame Hooch!"

Hooch walked up to the team captains with her wand held over her head, a shielding charm keeping the rain from soaking her through. "I want a good clean game."

"Nothing clean about it." Fred and George laughed, throwing mud pies at each other, ignoring Hooch's glare.

Diggory and Wood shook hands quickly, glaring at each other the way only true Quidditch fanatics could manage.

"Mount your brooms." Hooch nodded, holding her whistle to her mouth.

The Nimbus floated into the air, carrying Mary up and away from the muddy ground. Hooch blew the whistle and the teams split up. She had only caught the faintest glimmer of the Snitch before the gusting winds threw it out of her view. Trying to follow the path of the wind was pointless as it changed every few seconds, almost unseating her more than once.

An hour after the match started, Mary was still circling the pitch. Hufflepuff was getting decimated by the Gryffindor chasers. And so far they hadn't scored a single goal against Wood. Gryffindor, however, was close to a hundred and seventy points in the lead.

She felt the bone aching chill in the air before she saw them. Looking up, she was momentarily distracted by the hooded figures floating high above her, hovering over the grounds like overgrown vultures. Her breath froze in front of her face and ice started building up on her hands.

"Dementors." Cedric gasped from over twenty feet below her.

Without a moment to spare, Mary let go of her broom and pulled out her wand thinking of her happiest memory." _Expecto Patronum_."

Mary had hoped that the large stag would burst forth in all of it's shining silver glory, but instead a large shimmering shield appeared, repelling most of the foul creatures. The Dementors scattered and disappeared into the thick clouds, leaving Mary to holster her wand and resume the match.

"Hurry!" The Hufflepuff Seeker hissed at his broom, sending it into a steep dive.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the golden wings of the Snitch glinting faintly glimmering on the ground below her. She stowed her wand back in it's holster and maneuvered the broom to follow the older boy.

The cold air and fog pelted her skin, but the exhilaration kept a smile - so wide that it hurt her cheeks - on her face. She spiraled the broom around a few of the Hufflepuff players and laughed when they shrieked in surprise. The ground kept coming closer and closer, but Mary made no effort to slow down.

Cedric, who had been ahead of her, tried to match her speed, but was unable to get his CleanSweep to dive like her Nimbus could. Still, he flew as fast as he could toward the Snitch.

"You're going to crash!" Cedric yelled from her left.

Mary smirked and let out a small laugh as the small glint of gold flickered below her.

"Come on." Mary growled at her Nimbus, pushing it to it's limit. "Just a little more."

The Snitch hovered in the same place just ten feet off the ground. Mary held her left hand out and plucked it from the air with ease, feeling as though she was on top of the world as the crowd roared and cheered louder than the booming thunder. Her joy and glee over Gryffindor's victory was short lived as she tried and failed to pull up the nose of her broom in time.

Mary tucked herself around her broom and braced herself just before she hit the ground. The impact was so hard that her broom shattered after she bounced off of the hard icy mud. Her left arm and leg snapped like twigs as her body skidded to a halt just below the Hufflepuff stands.

Mary lifted the Snitch into the air with her good arm and heard the crowd cheer wildly then let it drop limply to her side while trying to keep herself from shrieking in pain. Her stomach rolled threateningly and she worried that she would vomit right there in front of everyone. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the cold mud to get some relief, but none came.

"Potter!" A voice yelled out.

Mary lifted her head and opened an eye to see Diggory slipping through the mud to get to her.

"Merlin!" He hissed and knelt down beside her. "Help is on the way."

He looked down and winced in sympathy. Her broom was nothing but splinters and they were embedded into her robes and by the dark red stains, were also sticking into her skin.

"Sorry I stole the Snitch." She said drowsily. "Good game though."

Her last words were muffled like she was having trouble breathing. Blood pooled in her mouth, the frothy red liquid bubbled up and started dribbling out of the corner of her lips, and Diggory had to turn her slightly, in fear that she would choke to death. The shattered broomstick handle was imbedded in her stomach, causing her maroon Quidditch robes to turn in even darker shade of red. Her leg was mangled badly, turned at an odd angle and had bits of wood sticking out everywhere.

"HELP!" Diggory yelled so loudly that Mary could feel the vibrations throughout her aching body.

"Mr. Diggory!" Professor McGonagall ran up to them and gasped at the state her student was in. "My word! Severus!"

A cool weathered hand was pressed to her forehead, twinkling blue eyes staring at her in concern. "Sleep, child."

She didn't hear the incantation he used, only that all of the fight seemed to leave her in an instant, causing her limbs to go slack and the darkness to finally pull her under.

* * *

 

**Severus Snape**

Severus watched the match in complete boredom. He was dead set on making Quidditch matches a definite  _no_  on his next employment contract. There was no usefulness in the sport other than causing him far more work, brewing numerous potions that would be consumed by the blithering idiots that thought the sport was  _fun_.

The weather alone was reason to avoid the pitch at all costs. Drying and Heating charms only went so far to keep one comfortable when they were trapped out in the elements. And today of all days had to be the one time where the rogue guardians of Azkaban deemed it prudent to show themselves, sending both the crowd and the staff into a full out panic.

Then Potter happened. The irritating girl had surprised them all by casting a passable Patronus and driving the worst of the horde away. But her momentary victory was quickly overshadowed by the way she succeeded in sending everyone present into cardiac arrest with her downward spiral and dramatic crash into the pitch.

"Idiotic child!" Snape hissed as he jogged toward them and knelt down on her other side in the mud.

He lifted the corner of her robe and seen the broken broom handle plunged deep into the side of her stomach. He didn't know if Madam Pomfrey was equipped for such a grievous injury and made sure he loudly said so to both Dumbledore and Minerva.

"She needs to go straight to St. Mungo's." He intoned quietly. "But the Floo will be too dangerous considering the magic leaking from the destroyed broom."

"She will have to stay here." Dumbledore shook his head as he conjured a stretcher and levitated the girl onto it. "I have no doubt that Poppy can fix her up. If it's needed I have a Healer friend who would not mind lending her assistance."

"Then call her, Albus." Minerva said as she walked next to the floating stretcher. "No offense to Poppy, but Potter is not in good shape."

Diggory jumped to his feet and followed, leading the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams into the castle behind the teachers. "Will she be okay?"

"She's in for a rough night, Cedric." Professor Sprout patted his hand and blocked the students from going further than the Great Hall doors. "We will update you as soon as we can. For now, I think it'd be best if you waited in your common rooms."

The group grumbled and shuffled away, but Potter's friends still remained.

"We'll wait outside the hospital wing." Granger said imperiously, grabbing Weasley's arm and pulling him past the stout witch.

Inside the brightly lit infirmary, Poppy Pomfrey had just unloaded a rant worthy of an angry lioness as she saw the state of her most frequent patient. Severus and Minerva were equally shocked at the vitriol in the woman's voice as she spoke about the game of Quidditch while getting the needed equipment set up. She'd even gone as far as to send the Headmaster out of the infirmary with high words of warning should he ever cast a sleeping spell on someone in need of medical care.

"Professor Snape," The matron looked up at him and gestured to the curtains. "Step out for a moment, please. And pull the curtain shut behind yourself. Don't go far, we'll need your help in just a few moments."

He did as asked and stood to the side of the room. He heard Minerva's shocked gasp and the matron's unladylike curse and wondered what had deserved such a reaction.

"Bring a pain potion, Severus." Madam Pomfrey said loud enough for him to hear. "And Pepper-Up, Blood Replenisher, Skele-Gro, and a Nerve Set Draught."

He pulled five small vials out of the cupboard and walked back to the curtained off area and pulled a panel back to step in.

He automatically averted his eyes away from the bed and it's occupant.

"It's safe." Minerva said sternly, pulling the vials from his hands.

He looked over to see the girl had on a pair of Muggle sleep shorts and a sheet covering her chest.

" _Rennervate._ " Poppy tapped her wand just above the girl's heart. "Wake up, Miss Potter."

"Don't wanna." The girl grumbled.

"I hate to say it, but you're going to need to stay awake while we remove the broom fragments, child. You shouldn't sleep after a head injury." Poppy said with remorse. "We can't give you anything for the pain, considering the magic leaking from the broom would not react well to that in the potions. As such I can't use magic to remove the broken pieces of your broom. I'll have to take them out the Muggle way."

"Heard this story before. Mixed magics bad." Potter cringed and looked down at where the broken broom handle stuck out of her side. "My poor broom."

"Poor broom!" Poppy scoffed. "It's your leg that you should be worrying about. Or maybe the internal organs you've likely skewered with this stunt."

"Kidney on a stick." Potter slurred and poked at the broom with a shaking hand. "Doesn't sound very good."

"I'd hope not." Minerva interjected, appalled at the macabre turn of subject.

The girl swallowed hard and gripped the bed sheet. "Now some liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti might not be so bad."

Snape choked down a laugh at the Muggle movie reference and internally berated himself for finding the injured brat's wit amusing. He blamed his momentary loss of composure on the sheer stress of the situation and the fact that Silence of the Lambs had once been a gruesome but thrilling favorite of his.

"This," Madam Pomfrey held up a pair of pliers. "Will be quite painful."

"You just had to show me your tools of torture." The girl paled at the instrument in the matron's hand. "Are you sure I can't have a pain potion? Or maybe a vat of Firewhiskey?"

"I'm sorry, dear. But that will have to wait until we're through." Madam Pomfrey voice softened then she looked up at Severus and pulled him over to stand by the head of the bed. "Hold her left hand and arm down, Severus. But be careful with the forearm and shoulder, both are broken. Minerva, get the right side."

The grey haired lady cast a silencing charm on the room and turned back to her patient. "Hold as still as you possibly can, dear."

"You do ask a lot of your victims." Potter grasped the mattress and looked as though she was going to try and run for it.

"Only when they need it." The matron grimaced as she grabbed the handle of the broomstick and pulled.

"Balls!" The girl ground out, her teeth grinding together so tightly that Severus thought he heard one shatter.

"Miss Potter!" McGonagall hissed as she kept a firm hold on Potter's shoulder.

"It's okay, dear." Madam Pomfrey patted the brat's hand consolingly and looked up at McGonagall. "I daresay I've taught her a few curses of my own. She's not like the typical homesick patients that I normally deal with."

"I have to stick this gauze in the wound." Poppy held up a wad of clean cotton. "You'll feel some pressure. Squeeze Professor Snape's hand if it hurts."

"I think he may value his hand." Potter's voice shook as the matron pushed the piece of gauze in. "How else would he write all those entertaining insults."

Her grip was light and he could feel that she was restraining herself from gripping his hand as hard as she could.

"I do have a dictation quill, Potter." Severus rolled his eyes and gripped her hand tightly. "And I apparently haven't made my suggestions insulting enough if they're considered  _entertaining_."

"Another big piece." Poppy shook her head and put the pliers to the chunk of broom. "These are going to leave some scars, child."

"Don't mind scars." Potter clenched her eyes shut as her eyes watered. "Any chance my broom can be fixed?"

"Not bloody likely!" Poppy huffed and placed another splinter into the stainless steel tray. "I can repair it enough for you to use it for the sweeping."

"I am in full agreement that the broom can not be repaired." Minerva kept her eyes on the girls face, as though she couldn't stand the sight of blood, and spoke calmly, finally realizing that the others were trying their best to distract the girl from the pain. "The magic in them is far too precise and interwoven into the very grains of the wood for it to be fixed by a single spell."

Snape looked over at a shard of the Nimbus 2000. "It seems as though the Suppression Cuff nullified the protection charms that would have normally kept the broom from breaking."

"Cheese and rice!" Potter yelped as Madam Pomfrey had to cut a piece out with a knife. "That effing hurt!"

"I will use your language as an excuse to take points in the future, Miss Potter." Snape intoned gleefully.

"So I can talk like this in class?" Her eyes brightened and tears leaked out as another long cut was made to remove a particularly large splinter from her thigh.

Snape stared at her with gleaming eyes. "Try it."

The girl's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she lay limply on the bed.

"Blood loss finally won out." Poppy sighed. "I'd hoped it would happen sooner. The poor dear. Wake her back up, Minerva. I'll see what I can do about that nasty concussion and then we'll finish removing the splinters."

Severus removed his hand from the small girl's grasp. "I'll go start a new batch of Blood Replenisher. It's best when fresh."

McGonagall shot him a perturbed and slightly envious glare as he walked out of the infirmary, not wanting to see or hear the brat's whinging and complaining.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Mary woke up later that night, to the sounds of a quiet argument going on not far from her bed.

"Mary is coming home with me!" Sirius's voice echoed through the large room. "There is no way I can trust her care to them any longer."

"Be reasonable." Professor Lupin told him quietly. "You can't pull her from school over a Quidditch accident."

"I could have lost her, Remus." Sirius growled. "I can take better care of her."

Mary fumbled with her plaster bound limbs until she could sit up, but somehow she'd gotten her arm trapped under her leg and the numbing potions made it impossible to control them. She flopped face first toward the floor until her sling caught on the dresser.

"Help." She groaned in defeat.

Madam Pomfrey marched toward her, her wand whipping through the air, sending Mary back onto her bed. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Escaping?" Mary squinted at her when the torches burned brighter. "Or not?"

"Not." Pomfrey scowled deeply. "You're injuries are still in a critical state and your body is completely exhausted."

"So when can I leave?" Mary asked, trailing her fingers across the sheet as though drawing out a map for the door.

"Healer Tonks recommended you stay for at least three days." Pomfrey handed her a pale blue vial of what smelled like a sleeping potion. "But your arm won't be healed for at least a week."

Mary looked at the sling as Sirius and Professor Lupin rounded the curtain. "Two days and I'll visit daily."

Pomfrey considered the offer and narrowed her eyes. "If you cooperate I'll let you out Sunday night before supper. You'll stop by after your last class of the day for the following week. But no visitors. You need your rest."

"Agreed." Mary nodded sharply.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius grasped her hand gently and sat beside her while Professor Lupin took the other side of the bed.

"Not bad." Mary shrugged.

Professor Lupin stared at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"I'm horrified that I almost cost Gryffindor the match and even more appalled that I wrecked my broom. But physically, I'll be okay." Mary replied honestly, a look of confusion on her face. "Were you at the match? I looked for you."

"By the time we returned, the match was over." Sirius replied evasively.

Mary knew that the full moon was the night before and that neither one of them would admit they were either traipsing through the Forest or sequestered in the Hospital wing.

"When did you learn the Patronus Charm?" Professor Lupin changed the subject and cut Sirius off before he could speak again.

"I've been practicing it for a while." Mary kind of lied, staring at her bedsheets so she didn't give her deception away. "Too bad it wasn't corporeal."

"Brilliant." Professor Lupin smiled softly at her. "Just like your mother."

Mary wanted to smile back, but felt ashamed, as though she had cheated.

"You want to come home?" Sirius interrupted her thought.

She gave him a confused glance. "I don't want to get behind in my classes. Believe me, I just caught up with my homework. I don't need to earn more."

"I can teach you." Sirius pleaded. "Anything you want to learn. If not I'll hire someone who can."

She squeezed his hand lightly. "I'm okay, Sirius. And I want to stay at Hogwarts."

He rubbed a hand across his face and put his head down mumbling something like. "Too many close calls."

"Professor Lupin?" She looked pleadingly at the graying man. "Is there any way you can let my teammates know that I'm okay and that I'll see them Sunday?"

"Of course." He smiled at her. "But only if you call me Remus when we're not in class."

"Thanks, Remus." Mary grinned.

"So formal." Sirius shook his head in sorrow. "He used to be your 'Moomy'."

"Moomy?" Mary quirked an eyebrow at her professor.

Remus pointed at Sirius in indignation. "She called you 'Paddy'!"

"Paddy and Moomy." Mary shook her head in disbelief. "I had an interesting beginning in this world."

Pomfrey floated a tray with three glasses of water to them. "Visiting hours will be over in five minutes."

Sirius picked his up and held the glass to his mouth. "We know."

"Visit more often?" Mary pleaded with them, hoping to make her godfather feel better. "Professor Lupin can keep you company.  _If_  your over your denial."

Water shot out of Sirius' nose, spraying everything within a three feet radius. He coughed and sputtered as Mary laughed loudly, holding her bandaged rib cage to keep from jostling her injuries.

"It hurts!" She choked out. "Ow!"

"What have you done?" Pomfrey stepped in looking appalled. "You haven't upset the spells have you?"

"Made... laugh." Mary sputtered, trying to reign in both her amusement and tears of pain.

"What's so funny?" Lupin asked Sirius, his glance traveling from his friend to his student.

"Not a bird, is he?" Mary sputtered, causing Sirius to growl at her.

"Are you concussed again?" Pomfrey waved her wand and prodded Mary's skull. "I swear, child. One more head injury and the damage may well become permanent."

"Ouch. Damn." Mary waved her hand to avoid the matron's intrusion. "It was just an inside joke."

When Sirius and Lupin left minutes later, Mary could hear Lupin asking Sirius what was so funny about birds. Mary chuckled to herself as she snuggled under the warm covers and let the Sleeping Potion work it's magic.

True to her word, Pomfrey kept Mary until the very last minute on Sunday evening. Annie had left a fresh set of clothes waiting for her when she exited the infirmary shower. Pomfrey carefully bandaged her Muggle arm and cast a few more diagnostic spells before reluctantly letting her leave.

Mary walked into the hall, charming her cast and sling to both glow in the dark and change colors randomly, not paying attention to where she was going. She tripped over someone's shoe and would have sprawled onto the floor had said person not grabbed her good arm and steadied her.

She looked up to see Malfoy grasping her arm and staring at her in a mixture of revulsion and horror. Mary shuddered and pulled her arm free from his grasp, stepping far away from the Slytherin. Their eyes met one more time and they both shuddered in disgust before quickly darting for their house tables. It was surely a moment they would laugh about much much later.

"Mary!" Ron cried out, abandoning his empty plate to rush to her.

The rest of the hall turned to stare, whispering and pointing at her. Her teammates stood and marched forward, giving her hugs and praising her for a wonderful catch, while admonishing her for getting herself hurt.

Cedric stepped forward and extended his hand to her. "Good game."

"Good game." She grinned and shook his hand.

"Yes," Professor Dumbledore stood, pulling the attention away from her. "We are all thankful that Miss Potter is once again out of the infirmary. If you are all ready, I do believe it's time to eat."

Ron whooped and ran back to his seat. Mary followed him at a slower pace and moved to sit, but a hand on her arm stopped her. Turning to the side, she saw Hermione standing there, biting her lip and staring at her with wide concerned eyes.

"Sit with me?" Hermione asked quietly.

Mary nodded and sat down beside the bushy haired girl. Just as she was getting ready to start dishing food onto her plate, Hermione enveloped her in a hug and began crying quietly.

"Whoa." Mary patted her on the back. "You okay, 'Mione?"

"I'm so sorry!" Hermione sobbed into her shoulder.

The rest of what she said was so muffled and quickly spoken that all Mary could do was stare and nod, trying not to yelp as the older girl crushed her bad arm.

"You forgive me?" Hermione looked up at her with red puffy eyes. "I already apologized to Lavender and Parvati."

"Of course." Mary replied honestly. "But I will hurt you if you keep me from this food a second longer. Madam Pomfrey's had me on a liquid diet since I skewered my innards on my broom."

Hermione let go of her and started heaping food onto her plate while a Hufflepuff firstie stared at Mary in horror. Mary smiled brightly, causing the girl's eyes to widen dramatically before she turned back to her own table.

"Have you thought about which broom you're going to get?" Oliver pulled her away from the crowd when they were walking back to the Common room later that evening. "We'll start practicing next weekend. Have you been cleared by Pomfrey? Please tell me that you'll be fit to practice."

"Pomfrey will clear me if I'm well enough by Friday night." Mary assured him. "And I've already ordered a new Nimbus 2000, same look, but it's been modified with all the capability of the 2001."

Oliver's eyes widened and he seemed to phase out for a moment before coming back to himself. "Yeah, that sounds, well, bloody brilliant. You'll be unstoppable!"

Mary laughed and rubbed her injured arm. "Let's hope it's stoppable. I didn't do so well on braking last match."

"We'll work on it." Oliver nodded sharply, a gleam in his eyes. "You seem to have problems with your right hand."

"My Muggle hand." Mary looked down, glaring at the appendage. "It kills the magic in my broom."

Oliver rubbed his hands across his face. "I'll add it to the training. You wear that sling to every practice and I'll make sure that you never try to use that hand during a match again."

For that first week, Mary visited Madam Pomfrey after classes, letting the Matron fuss over her, and hand her tiny vials of Dreamless Sleep Draught. And keeping her promise, Mary obeyed the orders to take it at curfew each night. It was going off the potion that became an issue. By the time the Matron deemed her healed, Mary was itching to get back to her late night practices. There was no way she could go any longer without doing something to prepare for the upcoming battles.

Life went back to normal after that. The Gryffindor Trio remained inseparable, but now other people began joining their group. Their year mates regularly joined them in the library. It was an odd thing to see three houses studying together in the library, but by the beginning of December, Blaise, Daphne and Tracey of Slytherin had joined their ever growing group as well.

 _Potions!_  Mary thought, late one night as she happily mastered another sixth year spell. It just wouldn't do to learn wand magic without taking in the usefulness of potions. While her summer reading had given her a far better understanding of the way ingredients worked together in tandem with their preparation, she knew that learning to successfully brew something more complicated than what they were currently doing in class, would take time and effort.

She asked the Room for such a place to learn, and it supplied her with all of the needed equipment, but as the limits of the room showed, it either could not or would not supply her with ingredients. That would be something she would have to take care of on her own.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	12. The First Christmas

**December 18th**

The third years were milling about Hogsmeade, darting from shop to shop, enjoying the freedom from the castle. Ron, Hermione, and Mary were inside Honeyduke's stocking up on their sweet supplies, trying to agree on where to go next. Each shop they walked into, Mary would covertly pocket an owl order catalog and make mental notes of things that her friends would like.

They spent the day talking about anything and everything from Quidditch to potions class. But all the while Mary felt horrible about the massive secret that she was keeping from her friends. She felt trapped under the weight of it, knowing that to tell them would risk either putting them in danger or making them think she was crazy. Half of the time she questioned her own sanity.

Later that night, Mary was pulled away from the stack of catalogs by Lavender. "Come on, there's something that you need to see!"

Parvati sat next to the wood stove, unrolling a scroll. "Bought it at Madam Puddifoots."

"Is that a Scrying Scroll?" Hermione gaped at them, sitting down next to Mary.

"Yup." Lavender giggled and rubbed her hands together. "It's time to find out our fates."

Mary could see the muscle working in Hermione's jaw, like the girl wanted to say something to disprove the scroll, but ultimately kept quiet about it.

"So how does this thing work?" Mary asked, waving her hand at the innocent looking scroll.

"Tap your wand to the parchment and say your name." Lavender instructed her. "Then Parvati will ask you a series of questions that you need to answer honestly."

Mary did as she was told and lightly tapped her wand against the pink parchment, causing filigree hearts to appear down the sides of the page.

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Favorite sweet?"

"Altoids."

"Yuck." Parvati grimaced.

"Don't judge me." Mary stuck her tongue out at the other girls.

"Ideal place to live?" Hermione asked.

"What are the boundaries?" Mary clarified. "Like within the country?"

"Anywhere in the world." Lavender spread her arms wide.

"Fiji."

"Oh nice!" Parvati clapped her hands together.

"Qualities you look for in a perspective match personality wise?"

"They've never heard of my name and don't stare at my scar when we first meet."

"That's a little too far out for the parchment." Lavender poked it with her wand.

"Fine." Mary grumbled. "Good sense of humor then. They can't be arrogant or snooty."

"Physical attributes that will attract you?"

"They have to be taller than me. And older."

"Hair color preference?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Looks like it's finished." Parvati gasped.

Mary looked down at the parchment, curious if a name or drawing would pop up. Instead, there was a list of names of students and staff.

"Look, Professor Snape is my type!" Mary pointed out his name. "You bought a defective scroll."

The other three girls burst out into loud laughter, before leaning forward to scan the names. "Oh, Diggory is too."

Mary shook her head. "He has the hots for Cho Chang. No dice."

Parvati looked thoughtful at the revelation. "They would be quite cute together."

"Draco Malfoy?" Lavender waggled her eyebrows.

Mary narrowed her eyes at them. "I thought arrogance and snootiness were banned?"

Parvati tapped the parchment. "Corrected."

"Wow." Lavender gushed. "There's a slew of Weasleys on here."

"Oh no." Mary shook her head vehemently. "They're family. I don't date family."

"Even Ron?" Hermione asked quietly.

"He's like a brother to me." Mary told her sincerely. "Especially not Ron."

"How sweet." Lavender cooed. "My turn, now that we know what's required to get a good reading."

"But we didn't find out who Mary ends up with." Hermione argued.

Parvati handed her a Divination book. "Read her palm and tell us. It's all on chapter eighteen."

Lavender plopped a red pillow onto the floor, grabbed Mary's hand and placed it the velvet cover while the three of them went from staring at her palm to reading the chapter.

"That's ominous." Parvati winced, looking up at Mary with wide eyes.

"How so?" Mary lifted an eyebrow.

"Your love line just stops." Lavender whispered, bring her hand up to cover her gaping mouth. "It stops right next to your life line!"

"Romeo and Juliet style?" Mary asked curiously. "Or is it more of an angst riddled unrequited love before I kick it?"

"It's not an exact practice." Hermione shut the book with a snap. "These things are all subject to interpretation bias."

"Maybe Professor Snape poisons me when I admit my feelings." Mary intoned in mock horror, causing the other girls to snicker.

They spent the rest of the night playing with the parchment and chatting lightheartedly about their goals for the future. Mary learned more and more about each of her dorm mates, far more than she wanted to know in some instances.

Hermione was supposedly destined to marry a famous author and live in a tiny loft above a library, while working as a lawyer for the rich and famous.

Lavender was to become a news caster for the Wizarding Wireless Network and marry a famous Quidditch player.

Parvati was least happy with her prospects as the parchment claimed she would marry a politician and become a spokesperson for St. Mungo's.

Mary was still trying to drown out the fact that she would die before she really got to live. It wasn't the fact that the Scrying Scoll's or Hermione's palm reading were news, but more of the fact that it solidified that there was a clock ticking and each tolling bell made one less day that she would live.

"Now that we're all speaking again," Hermione said suddenly. "I have a confession to make. At the start of the year Professor McGonagall gave me a time-turner to help me get to all of my classes. That's why I always seemed a little frazzled."

"Wow." Lavender's eyes widened in awe. "Those are highly controlled by the Ministry. You're grades must have been exceptional if you were offered one."

Hermione shook her head in disappointment. "It doesn't matter now. Professor McGonagall took it away after my outburst."

"We're sorry." Parvati said genuinely. "We really didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Hermione smiled at the three of them. "I'm glad you did. It's actually a bit of relief to not worry about it anymore."

"Don't count yourself out on the classes." Mary encouraged her. "McGonagall told me that independent study counts for a lot. You can still take the exams at the end of term even without attending the classes. That's what I'm going to do in Arithmancy."

Hermione looked thoughtful and stayed quiet while Parvati and Lavender began discussing the different boys that showed up on the Scroll. Mary leaned against the side of her bed and closed her eyes, letting sleep finally drag her under.

The next morning, the four girls woke early and readied themselves for the day. They exchanged Floo addresses and phone numbers before heading down to breakfast with their luggage, talking animatedly about their plans for the holidays.

"We'll be in Athens for most of the holiday." Hermione said excitedly. "I'm hoping the Grecian libraries are as fantastic as I've read about. McGonagall has written me a note for a pass into the Magical library near the Acropolis museum. I'll write to you all as much as possible."

"I'll be in Dubai with my extended family until the new year." Parvati added. "I'll be glad to feel the sun on my skin again. The cold here is brutal."

"I'll be at home relaxing." Lavender sighed contentedly. "Ethan, the Muggle boy that lives across the street from my house, is always inviting me to parties. I might take him up on it this year."

"I'll be with Sirius, so feel free to Floo anytime." Mary said proudly, glad that she was no longer trapped at the Dursleys.

Ron sat the Gryffindor table with Neville when the girls walked in. He waved them over, his cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of potatoes. Mary sat next to Neville and scooped some eggs and bacon onto her plate.

"Big plans for the holiday?" Neville asked her in a quiet tone.

"Just relaxing at home." Mary shrugged. "Why don't you see if your Gran will let you stop by?"

Seeing her friend's nervousness, Mary added. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Your godfather won't mind?" Neville asked with wide eyes.

"Not at all." Mary assured him, then turned to Ron. "You'll be over, wont you?"

"Yeah," Ron took a gulp of pumpkin juice. "Over two weeks with Big Head Boy and I'll be ready to drown myself in the toilet."

Mary chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm going to go find myself a seat on the train."

It turned out that the only free spot was in the cabin with Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. Everyone else looked in the window and saw the open seats, but passed by as though there was a plague in the compartment. Ginny looked up to see Mary knocking on the door with a pleading gaze and laughed loudly, opening the door for her.

"You mind if I sit here?" Mary asked the two girls. "It's flat out swamped everywhere else."

"The Dementors like you." The blonde girl said without looking up from her upside down magazine.

"It's not mutual." Mary shook her head quickly. "I mean I've told them I'm not interested but they don't know when to take no for an answer."

Luna threw her head back and laughed uproariously, slapping the seat beside her in her mirth, then sat back up as cool as a cucumber. "They're attracted to your memories.  _All_  of them."

Mary wasn't joking when she leaned toward the other girl. "Do you really think they know? They can sense it?"

Luna tilted her head to the side and pulled off the odd looking glasses her pale blue eyes staring at Mary in deep thought. "I don't see why they wouldn't. You are quite odd. Even  _I_  didn't know what to think of you, and everyone thinks I'm weird."

Mary's brows furrowed in anger. "You're unique. Don't let them tell you any different."

Luna smiled serenely. "You're unique too."

"I'm a walking hazard." Mary laughed humorlessly. "Gin can tell you that."

"Don't doubt it." Ginny stared at her year-mate with wide eyes. "If something bad can happen, it'll happen to Mary here."

Luna tilted her head to the other side and placed a pair of radish earrings in Mary's hand. "It won't be easy. But you'll get there. Just don't let the journey get you down. The Wrackspurts will always try to deter you from your task, so it's good to keep them away."

"I'll do my best." Mary replied honestly, knowing that Luna was exactly right.

All she had to do now was get her ears pierced.

* * *

 

**Mary Potter**

Eight hours later, Mary was finally back to the flat in Diagon Alley, leaning against the kitchen counter while Sirius and Dobby worked together on dinner.

"I'll just set the table." Mary stated, reaching for the cabinet door.

Sirius waved his wand, sending plates, glasses and cutlery flying out of the cabinets and drawers, making her duck to avoid decapitation or skewering. "Table is set."

Mary quirked an eyebrow at him. "Come on, why can't I help?"

Sirius grinned brightly. "You've been gone for months and I wont have you working on your first night back."

"You're up to something." Mary narrowed her eyes at the Marauder. "I can sense it."

Sirius' mouth twitched, before transforming into a scowl. "I've just missed out on so much of your life. You shouldn't be paranoid about a person's motivations when they're trying to do something nice for you."

Mary sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to go unpack my trunk. Call me when dinner is ready? Or are you planning on spoon feeding me?"

Sirius chuckled. "Oh no, I fed you plenty of times when you were a little pup. There's no need for us to make that big of a mess again."

After searching through her belongings for a few moments, Mary finally dug out the stack of owl order forms and sat down on her desk. With all of her friends and instructors in mind, she began checking boxes and giving the correct information so that the totals would add themselves up. Since she was already in the Alley, she would just drop the forms off at their respective stores and pay in person.

"Dinner!" Sirius voice broke her from her planning.

Mary walked back out where a simple, but mouthwatering dinner waited for her. But the part that shocked her was the way the entire living space had transformed into something that looked like Winter Wonderland had thrown up in. Fake snow covered the floors. Tinsel was strewn over every surface like a multicolored spiderweb. A fir tree twice as tall as Hagrid stood in the middle of the room, it's top almost touching the peak of the vaulted ceiling. Piles of gifts surrounded the tree, all covered in fluorescent colored paper that bore dancing images. And the haphazard pile of presents looked like it would topple over at any given moment.

"Holy smokes!" Mary choked out. "I was hoping to go to the shops later, but it looks like you've wiped them out."

"It's my first Christmas in over twelve years." Sirius shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. "I'm well within my right to go overboard. Now let's eat, I'm starved."

Mary tried to eat her food, but her eyes kept darting to the presents and decorations. Christmas had always been a solitary affair for her, she'd sit in her cupboard after washing the dishes, and listen to the soft Christmas carols that played on Aunt Petunia's antique radio. After years of wishing for a family of her own, she'd finally given up and realized that it would never happen for her. At least not in the way she'd imagined it. Even her first Christmas at Hogwarts had been dwarfed by the devastating loneliness she felt when she looked into the Mirror of Erised and knew that that was the closest she'd ever come to spending time with her family. But it was her friends that pulled her through those times. They always tried to keep her busy and distracted from the fact that she had no one else.

"You okay?" Sirius put down his fork.

"Yeah," Mary waved a hand, as though to brush away the morose thoughts. "Woolgathering, I suppose."

Sirius' eyes scanned her face once more before he went back to his meal. Dobby patted Mary's hand gently and scooped more potatoes onto her plate. Dinner was over before she knew it and Sirius finally relented and allowed her to help with cleanup. He flicked his wand at the Wizarding Wireless and loud rock music echoed through the kitchen as they cleaned. Mary danced around the kitchen with Dobby, laughing as the little elf shuffled his feet and whistled happily. Yes, this was far better than anything she could've imagined.

The rest of the holiday was spent in glorious relaxation and fun. On the 23rd, just two days before Christmas, Remus knocked on the door and was quickly dragged in by a giddy Sirius. It was like watching brothers that hadn't spoken in years, suddenly realizing that life wasn't quite so grand when the other wasn't around. Mary found that her professor's presence was calming and balanced out the normally boisterous and loud Sirius. They always included her in their conversations, and not once did she feel bored or left out.

"As I won't be available for Yule," Remus started, handing a present to each Sirius and Mary. "I thought you might like to open these now."

"Early presents!" Sirius rubbed his hands together in glee, holding the neatly wrapped box up to his ear and shaking it. "Clothes?"

Mary bit her lip at Sirius's dismayed look while she took great care in not ripping the beautiful red and gold striped paper while opening her gift. Underneath another layer of white wrapping, Mary revealed a small cedar box with the engraving of a stag and doe on the lid with a pattern of lilies wrapping around the outer edge. Her fingers traced the lines in reverence.

"Thank you." She whispered to Remus. "It's beautiful."

"Open it." He urged her with a soft smile. "The real gift is inside."

Mary opened the latch and the lid popped open slowly, revealing stacks of both Wizarding and Muggle pictures. Pictures of her parents from babies to adulthood. Pictures of their times at home and at Hogwarts with their friends. Pictures of her and her parents together. There was a whole stack of pictures with Sirius, Remus and herself when she was a baby.

Seeing that she was far too lost to speak, Remus patted her hand. "Hagrid told me that he made you an album after your first year, but he also said that not many people responded with pictures. I figured you'd like these to add to it."

"It's wonderful." Mary smiled brightly at him, brushing the stray tears out of her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you."

"You need not thank me at all." Remus assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "These pictures should have been yours from the beginning."

She carefully put the pictures back in the box, not wanting to damage the precious memories. Her heart clenched as she tried to find a way to put her thoughts into words. With Ron and Hermione it was so much easier. Hermione was always the one to give her a simple hug. Ron was content with a pat on the back. Sirius was the second adult, after Hagrid, to actually give her a hug. It wasn't something she was used to, but in that moment, she really wanted to give Remus a hug. He was family, or at least he used to be, and now they had a second chance to make it real.

"Moony," Sirius interrupted with a low whine. "You and your sentimental gifts. Now my own is going to seem shallow."

"You'll be staying for the rest of break, won't you?" Mary asked her professor hopefully.

He gave her a pained smile. "I have to get back to the school, I'm afraid. There is a stack of paperwork to fill out and a mountain of homework to grade waiting for me."

"Saturday?" Sirius asked Remus with a grimace.

"Yeah." Remus sighed, but turned to Mary with a small smile. "I'll be heading back after dinner."

"The full moon is Saturday night." She stated calmly, ignoring the alarmed look in Remus' eyes. "You can at least stay here until that morning. Hell, Floo over and bring the homework, I'll help you grade it. I'm not that bad with spelling and such."

"What does that have to do with the full moon?" Sirius asked her with a hard gleam in his eyes.

"It's a good time to pick flowers for potions." She responded weakly, then when they both sighed in relief, Mary added. "I'm not a complete idiot, you know."

"What do you mean?" Professor Lupin asked with resignation.

"You've been mysteriously sick or absent for the past few full moons." Mary did the only thing she could and grabbed his hand tightly. "I may not be Hermione, but I did read through my textbook, and page 394 clearly describes werewolves. So please, just stay here and enjoy Christmas with us, you really shouldn't be alone around this time of month anyway."

* * *

**Sirius Black**

Sirius looked at his best friend with pleading eyes, hoping that Mary's revelation hadn't bothered the reclusive man. "Mary's right, you're family and we should be together for the holidays."

Mary quirked an eyebrow at him in response. "Hell, we've got his room all ready and furnished. Why not make it permanent?"

Remus looked back and forth between them with furrowed brows, then focused on Mary. "My condition doesn't bother you?"

Mary picked up the cedar chest and pulled a picture from the top of the stack. Sirius could see baby Mary laughing as Remus bounced her on his knee.

Mary pointed at the picture, her hand shaking slightly. "I don't ever remember being this happy. My entire life was flipped upside down and I never knew what the upside was until just a few months ago when Sirius asked me to move in. Family is something that's always seemed out of my reach. You and Sirius both were part of my life and I didn't even know I had lost you. I can't go back to existing that way now that I have you back. I need my family."

Remus rubbed his hands across his face and then turned to pull Mary into a tight hug. Despite his efforts, tears still pooled in Sirius' eyes. They were all jaded and broken in some way, but together, they would get through it. They had to.

"I'm sorry." Remus held her tightly. "I wanted to be there for you, but it wasn't allowed."

"You're here now," Mary mumbled from Remus's shoulder, "since you're staying, we might as well open presents."

Sirius chuckled and wiped his eyes. "I agree."

Mary pulled free from Remus's grip and darted to her room, closing the door behind her.

"Did you tell her?" Remus whispered.

Sirius sighed and shook his head. "You know I wouldn't without talking to you first. She's a smart kid. She probably figured it out from reading books just like she said."

"Do you really think she's okay with it?" Remus asked quickly. "She must have concerns."

Sirius gave his friend a searching look. "You're too hard on yourself, Moony. Mary always loved you. Even now I don't think that's changed."

Mary walked back in and the two went back to acting as though they hadn't said a word since her quick departure. "I bring gifts."

She waved her wand and a stack of presents wrapped in shiny golden paper floated in front of each of them. Mary took her seat once more and then Sirius first picked up his gift from Remus and opened it quickly. A plush red cloak sat in the cardboard box. Sirius smiled widely at his friend, knowing that Remus remembered his love of Gryffindor colors. He stood proudly and shook out the cloak and put it on.

"You dropped this." Mary reached down and picked up a small rectangular object off of the floor. "Looks like a shrunken trunk."

Sirius stared at the familiar object and carefully held it in his hand. "Is it?"

"Everything from your flat before the Ministry confiscated it." Remus told him. "Dumbledore brought it to me before the start of term, hoping that I'd find some clue as to where you were hiding."

Sirius unshrunk the trunk and opened it. There on the top of the neatly packed clothing and nicknacks was a small shiny key. "It can't be."

"She's waiting outside for you." Remus replied, but Sirius was already halfway to the door.

"It's a Christmas miracle!" Sirius cried, running to the door and staring down into the alley. "She's out there!"

"What is it?" Mary jumped up, walking over in curiosity and gasped when she saw it. "I remember that bike! It can fly!"

"Damn right she can." Sirius said proudly, going to step out the door when Remus caught his arm.

"Mary wants to open presents." Remus whispered, sending him a pointed look that meant that Sirius was clearly being inconsiderate.

"What a nice motorbike!" Mary whistled in appreciation. "I call dibs on shotgun!"

Sirius looked over and smirked at Remus' resigned look, then finally gave in. "If the weather's nice, we can take her out tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm going back to my gifts."

He opened his gifts from Mary with a flourish, but his surprise wasn't something that could be faked. The large box contained a sleek black dragon-hide coat that fit perfectly, the hem barely touching the back of his knees. The inside was lined with velvet and he could feel the magic weaved into the fibers and scales.

"You look like a rock star!" Mary exclaimed with a beaming smile. "I'll be beating the witches away from you! I need a picture of this. Lavender has a bit of a crush on you, she'll die when she sees you in that."

The coat was wonderful, but he felt positively horrified that one of his goddaughter's friends had a 'crush' on him. He shuddered in revulsion. Somehow he had become a very old man.

"Mary," Remus stood, holding a warm brown cloak in his hands, "this is too much, really."

"Put it on." Mary pleaded with him. "It has temperature sensitivity charms on it. It should keep you as warm or cold as you want it to. You can't hurt it either." Mary pulled a pen knife from the table and slashed at the fabric that didn't even snag. "It's also charmed it to fit whatever form you're in. Moony will always be comfortable."

Remus slipped the cloak onto his shoulders carefully. "This is a wonderful gift, Mary. The closer it gets to the full moon, it seems like I can't get warm for anything. Feel this, Padfoot."

Sirius felt the hem of the cloak that Remus held out to him and pulled his hand back quickly. "Isn't it a little too warm, Moony? You're cooking yourself."

"It feels perfect to me." The werewolf shrugged, pulling the cloak tighter around himself and picked up another gift.

"You might want to keep that one away from the cloak." Mary smirked. "It's packed full of Honeyduke's finest and might melt."

"Chocolate?" Remus' eyes sparkled in anticipation. "I love chocolate."

"We know." Sirius stated in a dry tone.

They spent the rest of the night exchanging both gifts and memories. Remus and Sirius regaled Mary with stories of her parents and their Hogwarts years. But much to Sirius' irritation, Mary was very vague on her previous years at the school. He knew a little, of course, from Dumbledore and Remus, but otherwise the events were shrouded in mystery and Mary did nothing to unveil it.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Mary carried her boon of gifts to her room much later that night. Remus and Sirius saw her tired yawns and sent her to bed once, while Sirius pulled a bottle of Firewhiskey from the cabinet. While she was tired, Mary felt no need for sleep. Instead she used her time alone to put away her new things.

The Firebolt sat on her bed, taunting her with the temptation of it's speed and accuracy and she longed to take it out for a spin, but that would have to wait until she back at Hogwarts. It seemed that Quidditch was the theme for Christmas that year, as Hermione had sent her a book – The Best Seeker Strategies, by; Josef Wronski -, from Ron a Chudley Cannons poster, the twins sent a pair of nice leather finger-less gloves. And Mrs. Weasley had sent her yearly jumper, only this one was scarlet with a large golden lion on the front an a pattern of Snitches around the collar.

Hedwig gazed at her in interest as Mary pulled the Marauder's Map from her pocket and set in inside her trunk. It was a tradition for Mary to talk to her about both her gifts and letters during the long summer holidays, and it wasn't something she could ever think of giving up.

"If Sirius saw this I'd have a lot of explaining to do." Mary told her feathered friend. "It was smart of Fred and George to send it with a box of stationary. They're both very clever. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. And Mrs. Weasley sent me another warm jumper. She's so nice it hurts sometimes, because I wonder if my mum would have been so kind to my friends. I like to imagine that she would have, but I barely remember her."

Hedwig clicked her beak quietly in response while Mary put away the rest of her gifts. Hours later, she stepped out of her room to go to the toilet, only to hear sounds of loud snoring coming from the drawing room. It was quite a sight to behold, Professor Lupin stretched out on one couch while Sirius took up the other. Both were uncovered and the fire was almost out.

Dobby stepped into the dim light and smiled at Mary. "Do you want Dobby to get a fire going?"

"Is the extra room ready?" Mary whispered and when Dobby nodded his head, looked to Remus' sleeping form. "Can you levitate him into bed? I'll get Sirius. They're both going to be out for awhile."

Dobby lifted his hands, lifting her professor into the air and into his room. Mary waved her wand and floated Sirius to his own bed and covered him up, then cast a warming charm on his blanket. Dobby was walking out of Remus's room when she shut Sirius's door.

"Would young Miss like some cocoa?" Dobby looked up at her with wide eyes.

"I'd love some." Mary patted his shoulder. "I'll get the fire started back up then come to help you."

"Dobby will get the cocoa." Dobby lifted his nose into the air. "Mary Potter will tend the fire."

Mary did as requested and had the room nice and toasty by the time Dobby walked in with a tray. He set it down on the table but stopped when Mary grasped his arm.

"There's only one cup." Mary looked up at him with pained eyes. "Will you please sit with me for a bit?"

"You want Dobby's company?" The little elf asked carefully, snapping his fingers and summoning another mug. "Dobby would be delighted."

The two talked for a little while longer, drinking cocoa and watching the fire crackle. By the time Mary went back to her room, she finally felt ready to sleep. She fell heavily onto her bed and pulled the covers over herself just before exhaustion won out, dragging her into a deep and restful sleep.

The rest of the holiday went smoothly. Sirius and Remus left the afternoon before the full moon and spent the night in the Shrieking Shack while Mary stayed at home with Dobby. The little elf kept her busy, teaching her tricks of cooking faster and the way elf magic worked. It was enthralling to be taught something few had a chance to learn.

* * *

**Neville Longbottom**

Neville was nervous and couldn't quite understand why. Gran had grudgingly allowed him to invite Mary and her godfather over for tea, but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that it had all been some elaborate joke.

"The girl's schedule must be quite full, Neville." Gran told him, some twenty minutes before Mary was supposed to arrive. "She has many friends and a new guardian. You can't expect her to take time away for a mere acquaintance."

Neville felt his spirit drop even more. Mary wasn't just an acquaintance, she was a friend. A good friend. Sure she'd been distant lately, but it wasn't just with him, even Ron seemed worried about her, and Ron was rarely worried about anything beyond the next meal or Quidditch match.

The Floo flared and Neville stood so quickly that he spilled his drink onto the rug. Gran waved her wand to clear the mess and stood while shaking her head in disappointment.

Mary stumbled into the living room and fell to her knees. "Floo still hates me."

Neville stepped forward and helped her up. "You're here."

"You're a right saint, Nev." Mary patted him on the back. "Sirius should be through in a moment."

Gran cleared her throat and Mary turned to face her. "Madam Longbottom, it's an honor to meet you."

"And you." Gran nodded stiffly.

The Floo flared again and Neville looked up to see a sharply dressed man gracefully step into the room. He looked at Gran with a wide smile and bent his head down. "Madam Longbottom."

"Black." Gran's scowl twisted into an almost smile. "I thought I told you to call me Augusta."

Mr. Black's lips quirked into a smirk. "And I asked you to call me Sirius."

"Come sit." Gran gestured to the settee across from her chair, then turned to him. "Neville, get the elves to start lunch."

"I'll go with you." Mary smiled at him. "How's your holiday been, Nev?"

They left the adults in the drawing room and made their way to the kitchen. "Not bad. It's just Gran and I, so it's been quiet. Thank you for the seeds, I've always wanted a Isolla tree, but really it's too much for a gift."

Mary turned and gave him a knowing look. "You're a great friend, Nev. When I saw those seeds I knew that there was no one more capable of getting them to grow than you. Plus, you sent me those awesome prank books. I've already put them to good use against Sirius."

Neville stared at her in shock. "You liked them? I only bought them because you seemed to appreciate the Twins sense of humor."

"My godfather is their idol." Mary shook her head and chuckled. "Those books have saved my bacon this holiday. I owe you."

Neville nodded mutely as they walked into the kitchen. "Milly, Gran is wanting lunch served in the drawing room."

The small happy elf smiled brightly at him and nodded deeply to Mary. "Milly will be sending it up at once, Master."

Mary was looking around the kitchen with a look of awe on her face. "This is a really cool house."

Neville blushed as he stared at the walls that seemed more like a padded cell. "It's been in the family for years. I...I can show you around if you'd like."

"Of course." Mary grinned.

It started out quite awkward, actually having a guest wasn't new to him, but it was never someone his own age. Mary made things easier by keeping the conversation going with questions about the portraits or grounds. While Gran and Mr. Black talked, Mary and Neville walked around the grounds and he was finally able to show off some of his favorite plants. Mary actually seemed interested in what he had to say and he found himself falling into easy conversation with her.

"Neville!" Gran's voice echoed from across the lawn.

Mary followed him at a quick jog as they ran back into the mansion.

"Luncheon was served almost half an hour ago." Gran said sternly. "It's quite rude of you to keep your guest waiting."

"I apologize, Madam." Mary stepped forward. "I was curious about the Herbology work that Neville does and wanted to see the greenhouse. It was my fault."

"Why would you be interested in the greenhouse?" Gran asked skeptically.

Mary's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Nev is the best in Herbology. I don't think I'd make it through a class without his expertise. He's been tutoring me at school."

"You're tutoring other students?" Gran asked him with a furrowed brow.

"Not really." Neville stuttered. "Mary is quite good."

"He's being modest." Mary patted his arm. "Professor Sprout thinks of him as a model student."

"It's good to hear that your time at school is not completely wasted." Gran turned away, leaving them to follow her back to the drawing room where the platters of sandwiches were laid out.

While Neville knew that it was one of the better compliments she'd ever given him, it still stung a bit. She'd always compared him to his parents, and those were awfully big shoes to fill. Both his Mum and Dad had been Aurors and brave people that deserved to belong to Gryffindor house. Neville had always felt like an outcast, an afterthought, always left behind to struggle alone.

Over the past year, Mary, Ron, Hermione, and others in their group had gladly accepted him. He finally belonged and felt as though he was part of something. It made him feel proud to be included in the group. They stood up for and respected each other. No matter what house they were in.

Mary grabbed a sandwich and ate it quickly, only picking up her manners when she thought Gran was looking, and that was something that Neville found very amusing. He picked up a sandwich and mimicked her, but was ultimately caught with a mouthful of food and Gran staring at him like he'd just pissed in her teapot.

"Don't over stuff yourself, Neville." Gran scolded him hitting his knuckles with the tip of her wand. "Madam Marchbanks' dinner is at seven and I need not have your appetite ruined."

"Augusta," Sirius butted in quickly. "Would you mind terribly if we steal Neville from you for a few days? I've been teaching Mary dueling and I think it'd be more beneficial if there was someone her own age there to help her."

Neville swallowed heavily at the thought of going against Mary in a duel.

"Will you behave, Neville?" Gran pierced him with a fierce glare.

"Yes ma'am." Neville bowed his head, his heart racing.

"The train leaves on the second." Sirius shrugged. "I'd be glad to take him to the station if you'd like to join Madam Marchbanks on that retreat in Majorca."

Gran seemed to consider the offer and nodded once. "That would be very kind of you, Sirius. Neville, go pack your trunk. And do try not to forget anything."

"I'll help." Mary stood and followed him to the hallway.

When they were out of earshot, Neville turned to Mary with wide eyes. "I'm rubbish at dueling!"

"Don't worry about it." Mary patted his arm. "Sirius was just bluffing. We'll probably spend the rest of break wandering the Alley."

Neville breathed a sigh of relief and his heart soared at the thought of getting out and having fun instead of being cooped up in the stuffy old house. And he wasn't disappointed. Ron and Ginny joined them for dinner that night and they all stayed up late, talking around the fireplace and playing exploding snap with Sirius. It was the best holiday he'd ever had.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Mary could feel the cloud of depression hovering over her godfather. Remus had left the night before to return to Hogwarts and Sirius was clearly dreading being alone again. He spent most of his time sitting at the table and reading through old copies of the Prophet or going over his papers from Gringotts. Not even the Twins antics seemed to pull him out of his morose state for more than a few minutes.

"Visit more often." Mary pleaded with him as they walked towards Platform 9 ¾ the next morning. "Maybe you can talk to Dumbledore about assisting Moony in classes. He always looks dreadful around that time of month and could use the rest. Not to mention it'd be nice not to have Snape substituting. He's not very friendly teaching potions, let alone DADA."

A gleam shone in her godfather's eyes and Mary wondered if she'd made a mistake. It was too late to take it back though. The Express looked a deep dark red under the cloudy sky. The weather had alternated back and forth between dark clouds and snow showers or dark clouds and gusty winds. That morning had been a mixture of both, sending snowflakes flying in through the gaps of the station, creating a frigid and tense atmosphere.

"Call me on your mirror as soon as the conductor announces you're in Hogsmeade." Sirius instructed for the hundredth time. "I'll be Floo calling Dumbledore tomorrow and I don't want to hear of any adventures or injuries."

"I'll be fine." Mary sighed, patting him on the arm. "But I've got to go before I'm left behind."

"I love you, kid." Sirius pulled her into a quick hug and lightly kissed the top of her head. "Keep an eye on Moony for me."

"Love you too." Mary extracted herself from his grasp.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	13. Of Victories and Dementors

**Mary Potter**

Winter faded into spring and before long it was close to the end of term. Sirius had taken her advice and was now substituting for Remus during the days around the full moon. And although he was only there part time, he had easily taken up the position as second most loved teacher in Hogwarts. Even the more reluctant Slytherins had very few bad things to say of the Head of the Black family.

Mary spent a few evenings a week, sometimes joined by her friends, and they'd sit in the small cozy Professors quarters hearing stories of the Marauder's days in the ancient school. But the best part was when Sirius and Remus showed up at the Quidditch matches, loudly and clearly supporting Gryffindor. They hadn't lost a match all season and Mary wasn't willing to see the winning streak end.

"Good luck today, Potter." Diggory shook her hand.

"Thanks." Mary smiled at him and moved with the rest of her team to the doors of the Entrance Hall. "Slytherin doesn't stand a chance."

"Right you are, sis." George patted her shoulder. "Just look at the weather."

"Perfect for playing." Fred grinned widely at the partly cloudy sky. "Not too warm either."

"There here." Wood hissed, pointing at the stands, as they walked onto the pitch.

Two young men and a woman sat in the guest stands. Mary could only identify them by their drastically vivid clothing. All three wore bright blue robes that signified Puddlemere United. Beyond them, the stadium was slowly filling, as almost the entire castle's population decided to enjoy the lovely weather and last match of the year.

"Good turn out." Katie whispered to the others, pulling her fingerless brown gloves onto her hands.

"The Slytherins look nastier than ever." Angelina gazed out of the tiny window from the changing rooms. "Montague looks as though he's grown a foot since the last match."

"Stay out of their way." Wood advised them, his voice shaking as he stood by the door. "They know we're the stronger team and they're aiming to injure. Don't take chances."

"We could use Scorpio tactics." Katie butted in. "The same ones you made us learn after the rogue Bludger attacked Mary."

Fred and George looked at each other then at the rest of the team. "We'll keep them busy."

"Good." Oliver sighed, rubbing his face.

"Wait!" Alicia blocked the door. "Same stance we used before the first Hufflepuff match. We're not scared, nervous, or intimidated. We're going to win!"

"Or die trying." Oliver nodded his head proudly. "Let's go."

"I've brought our advantage." Mary pulled the package out of her locker and quickly unwrapped it. "Sirius got it for me for Christmas."

Her teammates spluttered and coughed as they looked down at the gleaming broomstick. There in all her glory was the new Firebolt, kept hidden away until the last moment, giving them the advantage against certain sneaky Slytherins that would try and one up them.

Mary slung her new broom onto her shoulder and ran out of the door behind Katie, turning around and slapping the older girl lightly on the shoulder. "You're it!"

Katie laughed and turned around to quickly tag Angelina. And so forth it went, right up until Madam Hooch called Oliver and Flint to the center of the pitch.

"I'm not even going to suggest you shake hands." Hooch looked from one furious team captain to the other. "Mount your brooms...Three – Two – One!"

Mary watched as the wooden trunk opened and the different sized spheres flew into the air, but by that time, she was already high above the pitch, watching her teammates play with an intensity that she'd never seen before. All the while, she slowly circled the stadium searching for the elusive Snitch.

"Gryffindor scores!" Lee Jordan exclaimed!" "Nice work, Alicia! TEN-ZERO TO GYRYFFINDOR! Oh, and a nice dodge by a Weasley, I can't tell which is which. WATCH IT! A near collision between Johnson and Flint! Clearly foul play!"

Mary angled her broom towards the green robed players and smirked. Her moves were fast as lightening as she ducked and dove through the melee, keeping the Slytherin Beaters and Chasers distracted while Gryffindor scored again and again.

"Go for the Snitch, Mary!" Wood screamed at her, close to an hour after the match began. "We're up a hundred and twenty points!"

Mary angled her broom up and began searching again.

As though it knew she was looking for it, the Snitch appeared hovering just to Malfoy's left while the blonde was distracted by the other players.

Mary gripped her right leg with her right hand, determined not to screw up the Feint. With her left hand held tightly to the Firebolt, Mary dove straight down.

"And Potter has the Snitch in her sights!" Lee yelled at the crowd. "And have my eyes gone wonky or is that a Firebolt she's flying!? Merlin's tits! LOOK AT IT GO!"

"JORDAN!" McGonagall growled over the magical micrphone. "Language!"

Mary blocked out the rest of the commantary as she focused on her goal. The Snitch flew in a lazy figure eight pattern just above the green grass, taunting her, but with Malfoy so close to it, she had no time to waste. The vast expanse of green engulfed her vision as the pitched raced closer and closer to her at a near freefall pace.

"Come on!" Mary whispered, leaning closer to the handle to gain a more aerodynamical advantage.

She passed Malfoy as though he was sitting still and almost laughed at his sputter of rage as he urged his broom after her. She was so close now, so close she could taste the victory. There was no way she would mess up the move again.

She too a deep breath in and slowly exhaled through her nose, keeping her pulse and breathing calm. With her knees gripping the broom Mary raised her good hand and plucked the Snitch from the air, then quickly grabbed the handle and pulled it into a smooth landing.

"POTTER HAS THE SNITCH!" Lee Jordan crowed. "GRYFFINDOR WINS 300-NIL!"

Mary knelt down on the grass, breathing hard and trying to keep from passing out from shock. She couldn't believe it! They'd done it! They'd won the Cup!

Heavy footsteps pulled her from her revelry and she looked up in time to see Oliver skidding across the grass on his knees, just before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Mary laughed and patted his back, then looked up in confusion when he pulled away long enough to plant his lips on hers.

"Well if he congratulates all his teammates that way this might get interesting!" Lee Jordan laughed despite McGonagall's outraged sputtering in the background.

"Oh look," Lee pointed out. "It seems the Weasley twins have taken offense to the public snogging of their honorary sister."

Oliver turned around at Lee's words and walked toward Fred and George, whose eyes widened, and stopped them in their tracks. They began backing away from their insanely ecstatic captain and held up their hands in surrender as he started to run toward them. Mary stood and wiped her mouth on her sleeve, watching her teammates in amusement.

Angelina and Alicia landed their brooms and ran forward, pulling Fred and George to safety while Katie tried to pull Oliver back. He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her, but to everyone's shock she didn't pull away.

Mary chuckled loudly at the tirade Professor McGonagall was spewing as she marched across the field with the Headmaster following just behind her holding the Quidditch Cup.

"Mr. Wood!" McGonagall yelled out once more. "Unhand Miss Bell right now!"

Katie pulled away and took a look around to where her teammate's were still gaping at her and shrugged. "Sorry. Couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Mary let out a laugh as Fred and George both slung their arms around her shoulders and guided her to where McGonagall was accepting the Quidditch Cup from Professor Dumbledore.

The party in the Common room that night was a loud affair. Oliver was on cloud nine, going over his interview with the Puddlemere scouts, to anyone that would listen. From what Mary could garner from his fast paced speech, they thought he was brilliant and signed him straight away.

* * *

 

The following weeks passed in a blur of studying and exams. Hermione was in her element as she directed their study group through the motions of making it through the tests. So far, they'd all made it through fairly well, but considering that their future careers were on the line, no one wanted to muck it up.

"We've got Defense, Herbology, Runes, Arithmancy, and Divination on the line for the last exams." Hermione said with a nervous squeak.

"You're top in Runes." Daphne looked up and pushing a stack of note-cards toward Hermione. "You quiz us, then I'll quiz you."

"While anyone taking Runes is doing that," Mary added. "Neville can quiz some of us taking Herbology."

"I'll take Arithmancy." Tracey Davis picked up a thick tome and went to another table. "We can rotate out so that anyone taking multiple classes is able to study."

They split up and spent the rest of the night quietly talking back and forth, making sure that they were all prepared for the tests.

Potions that next afternoon left Mary with mixed feelings, while she had done well in the practical portion of the exam, her Confusing Concoction was a shade darker than she'd intended it to be. Snape had glared at the vial and waved her away, giving no sign or indication that she had done well or failed.

Astronomy that night was a total fail on her part, as the stars seemed to all look the same and she couldn't seem to concentrate on any constellation long enough to name it. It was something she'd have to ask Sirius to teach her, knowing that he was quite good at the subject.

Herbology was a breeze. Even Professor Sprout was ecstatic at how well most of the third years had done. And it was even better when she scowled at the way Malfoy and Parkinson's Puffapods had shriveled up and died.

But it was Defense that Mary felt most at home. She tackled everything in the maze that Professor Lupin sent them into and even made it out with the fastest time. Remus greeted her at the end and smiled proudly as he jotted her grade down on his clipboard.

Ancient Runes were far trickier than Mary had expected, but she was confident that she hadn't completely failed the class. It was Arithmancy that she worried about, having not attended one single lesson, and opting to go with a self study approach. Either way, she knew that she had done her best, and in those two classes she had no help from parallel memories to help her.

Mary spent the rest of the day, relaxing in the common room, glad that the exams were finally over.

"Come on." Oliver shook her shoulder, breaking her from her sleepy haze. "We're having a pick up game. Go get your broom."

Mary ran into her room and snatched her Firebolt from her trunk and ran downstairs with a whoop of glee. Flying sounded marvelous. After the long nerve wracking week of testing, she needed a way to just let go and have some fun.

The minute her feet hit the top step of the Entrance Hall, Mary mounted her broom and sped toward the pitch. Players from most of the four houses stood around talking amicably. They all decided on splitting the large number into two teams. Everyone rapped their wands over their head, casting the charm that would randomly turn their clothes red or blue, dividing the group evenly and without bias. Mary ended up on Blue team, along with Diggory, the Twins, and twenty others.

It wasn't a true match, simply a game of Keep-Away. The Keepers guarded the goals, and the rest of the team had the job of getting the single Quaffle through the hoop. It was madness, utter chaos, but ridiculously fun.

Even though the game ended in a close tie at 100-100, when Professor McGonagall ran out shouting at them that it was after midnight, there was no hard feelings. They all talked loudly and laughed as they made their way back into the castle.

A long mournful howl in the distance pulled Mary's attention away, and she automatically looked up to see the moon sitting full and high in the sky above them. The clouds drifted dark and thick in the air in front of it, sending sinister shadows onto the ground below. Mary stood stock still and watched as hundreds of dark cloaked creatures swarmed in the distance.

She urged her broom to the left unnoticed by the others as she flew further into the grounds and towards the Whomping Willow were the sounds had come from.

How could she forget what night this was and what was supposed to happen? She landed quickly and stumbled twice, but kept her footing and made it to where a large grey wolf stood, teeth bared, long snout pointed up at the sky.

"Moony?" Mary whispered, her eyes darting from the agitated werewolf to the encroaching Dementors. "We have to get Padfoot out of here."

Moony nudged the still form with his snout and looked up at Mary with pleading yellow eyes.

"I'll get him." Mary assured him. "Go on, get back inside the castle."

Moony's hackles raised and he circled around her and nudged her in the ribs with his snout.

"I know." She reached out and patted his thick fur. "We'll go together.  _Wingardium Leviosa_."

Sirius' still form floated in the air in front of them and Moony carefully grabbed the hood of Sirius' cloak between his sharp teeth, pulling the floating form towards the castle doors.

Mary could feel the cold creeping in and pointed her wand in the direction of the Dementors and thought of the day she and Sirius went shopping for posters at Gambol and Japes. "Expecto Patronum!"

The giant silvery stag galloped through the air, keeping the dark creatures at bay. Mary was so entranced by the sight of it that she didn't notice that they had been surrounded. A loud yelp pulled her attention away and she gasped as she watched the dark cloaked figures hovering above Sirius and Moony.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " Mary cast again, guiding the Patronus towards the new threat. "Come on."

The Dementors pulled away once again, but there were bigger problems to face. Their dark presence seemed to force Moony into a manic state. The werewolf stalked towards Sirius prone form with white teeth bared in hunger and defense. His yellow eyes flashed in the moonlight and all Mary could see was bloodlust.

Mary lifted her wand and choked down her own fear. " _PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!_ "

She could feel the immense amount of power that it took to bring down the werewolf and realized just how strong Moony was and how hard Remus had to fight to hold back the impulse to let the wolf take control.

Knowing that she was running out of time, Mary ran towards to her two father figures and levitated Moony while dragging Sirius by the robes. Sweat poured down her face and her arms and legs ached from the strain, but all she could think about was getting them to safety. They were all she had.

"Bloody Harry Potter!  _Expecto Patronum,_ " She ground out the spell and watched as the huge stag cantered off while she dragged her unconscious godfather up the steps with one hand and the petrified werewolf with her other. "Stupid bloody future. Sure it looked easy, but this is just bullshit. Change the future, but don't change  _too_  much. Don't tell  _anybody_. Do it  _all_  by yourself."

"Potter!" Snape hissed as he rounded the corner and set his dark eyes on her. "I should have known you'd be the idiotic little menace that would ruin my night. What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

"Kind of failing to do two things at once," she gave him a pointed look as she tugged harder on Sirius's robes and finally got him inside the castle, "sir.  _Expecto Patronum_. Bloody Dementors."

"I hope Prongs gores you in the nads!" Mary yelled out as she pushed the heavy doors shut and slid down to lean against them. "I'm too old for this shit."

Snape flicked his wand and levitated Black onto a stretcher and tried to keep his distance from the wolf. "Get away from the beast, Potter."

"He's stunned, Professor." She said quickly, quirking an eyebrow at the dark haired man. "Dementors attacked us on the grounds. Have you seen Hagrid? Is there anybody else out there? We have to get help!"

"Your Patronus warned Hagrid and Professor Sprout in time for them to get into the castle." Snape grudgingly held out a hand to help her up. "Professor Dumbledore has contacted the Ministry and Professor McGonagall is currently checking to make sure that everyone is safely inside."

"That's good." Mary sighed and patted Black's hand. "I'm going to go lock Professor Lupin in his office. Will you take Sirius to the infirmary, professor?"

"I will." Snape replied then walked away with Sirius floating beside him, sparing a glance at the young girl, and shook his head in unveiled exasperation.

Mary flicked her wand and levitated Moony far enough into the air that his tail wouldn't drag on the stone floor and carefully made her way to his office. She set him down on the small cot that took up one corner and turned around to grab a blanket off the back of the small leather armchair to tuck him in for the night.

A low growl erupted behind her and her eyes widened as she slowly turned around with the blanket in hand. "Moony?"

Golden eyes glared at her and the massive wolf bared his teeth as he lowered his head and stared at her. Mary dropped the blanket and kept her hands in plain sight as she avoided looking at the disoriented werewolf in the eye.

"It's me, Moony." She said as calmly as she could, but still her voice shook. "It's Mary."

The wolf lunged and in one bound had knocked her backwards and buried his long fangs around her forearm. Mary screamed out as the burning pain erupted up from the mangled flesh. Within the span of mere seconds, his teeth had ripped her arm apart, tearing away both cloth and flesh and leaving nothing but a mangled mess of both.

Magic rippled across her skin and Moony yelped loudly, releasing her arm and backing away warily, his golden eyes stared at her in horror while he whined lowly and paced the floor. Mary wrapped the sleeve of her robe around the wound tightly, hoping to staunch the worst of the blood-flow, and stood up on shaky legs. Moony whined pitifully as drops of blood fell to the floor.

"I'm okay." Mary whispered to him and tried her best to sound reassuring. "I've got to go check on Sirius and I'll be back to see you in the morning."

Moony laid on the floor by the fireplace and turned his back to her. Mary sighed and walked out of the room, shutting and locking the door tightly behind her.

" _Clausa Maxima_." She whispered the spell at the door handle and put a hand against the wood. "Night, Moony."

Snape looked up sharply at her when she stumbled into the infirmary some twenty minutes later, having to lean on the wall to keep from passing out cold in the corridor. "Potter, what are you..." He took one look at her pale face and the thick sheen of sweat that covered her brow and his eyes traveled to the blood soaked arm of her robe. "I'm going to kill that bloody wolf!"

"My fault." Mary shook her head weakly as he helped her into one of the hospital beds. "My spell wore off before I could get out of the room. He was disoriented and scared. He didn't know what he was doing."

"I'll be sure to tell the werewolf how valiantly you've defended him just before the Ministry puts him down." Snape said darkly. "Uncover your arm."

She did as she was told while trying to find something more to say to defend Remus. "No one has to know! It was my fault, really! He won't be punished, will he, sir?"

Snape looked up and met her eyes and she could tell that he wanted to look away, but she grasped his hand with her good one, seeking some kind of reassurance. "Please, sir."

Snape cursed loudly when he saw her mangled arm and Mary tried and failed to look away. But at Madam Pomfrey's shriek, both grimaced and turned toward the irate woman who was stalking toward them brandishing her wand.

"Miss Potter." Madam Pomfrey growled out her name like it was a curse. "Considering it's a full moon that better not be what I think it is."

"I tripped?" Mary supplied weakly and squeezed Snape's hand even though he was desperately trying to free himself from her grip.

"Tripped over what? A Muggle bear trap?" Madam Pomfrey vanished Mary's robe, school sweater and tie then slashed her wand angrily and severed the sleeve of her white button up shirt. "I do believe that you have exhausted every ounce of patience I have for you this year."

"'kay." Mary put her head down in sudden shame and let go of Snape's hand as she looked down at the myriad of exposed muscle and tendons.

A cold pale hand grasped the silver cuff that permanently adorned her arm and Mary followed it up to look at Snape in question.

"Magic won't work on the wound." Snape said to Madam Pomfrey who sat on the edge of the bed and sighed loudly. "Potions will also be useless."

"Isn't a bite like this cursed anyway?" Mary asked, thinking of Harry's memory of when Bill Weasley was attacked by Greyback.

"Exactly." Snape smiled grimly at her. "Lycanthropy is passed through a bite on the full moon and the wounds are highly magical and never heal properly."

"Which means you are the luckiest unlucky person I have ever met." Madam Pomfrey conjured a wash basin full of steaming water and a roll of gauze. "We'll have to clean it out and bandage it the Muggle way. I'm afraid you are going to have a rather nasty set of scars from this."

* * *

**May 25th, 1994**

**Severus Snape**

"Professor Snape, could you bring the Muggle remedies while I clean the wound?" Poppy asked him, shooting a pointed look in his direction.

He took the hint and extracted himself from the situation. The blasted girl would surely want privacy as she cried and complained about the painful cleansing process. But he knew better than that. Despite his hatred of the child, he couldn't truthfully say that she was the type to whine. It was in his mental notes to believe her possessed if she ever griped about pain or punishment. It was something that he secretly admired about her.

He returned with the needed tinctures in his arms just as Poppy was finishing. The process had to have been excruciating, as the well trained matron stopped every couple of minutes to vanish the blood and cleanse the water. The scars would be horrific. Severus just hoped that the werewolf would regret his carelessness each time he saw them.

"Your hand is far steadier than mine, Severus." Poppy handed him a needle and silk thread, looking quite green. "Sutures are something that I have little practice in."

Potter's eyes met his and he saw the trustful, yet resigned look on her face as he accepted the needle. He looked away and cast a charm to give him more light.

"Stay as still as possible, Potter." He ordered her as he placed the needle to her skin.

"Yes, sir." She replied quickly, staring at the wound.

It took him far longer than he liked. But close to two hundred stitches later, he had finished the work that Poppy had left him with. Potter looked pale and weary, staring down at the criss cross pattern of black thread that covered her forearm.

"It's going to scar quite badly." He informed her, handing her the vials of both blood replenisher and dreamless sleep.

She shrugged and leaned back against the pillows. "I'm no stranger to scars."

"On the next full moon," Snape said heavily. "We will find out whether you have contracted the disease. But if the magical suppressor in the cuff works properly, you will not become a werewolf."

Mary took a shaky breath and looked up at the Potions Master with wary eyes. "Could you check Professor Lupin's office door? I'm worried that my locking charm won't hold. My other spells tonight seemed to have been weaker than usual."

"What charm did you use?" Snape asked as he quickly stood.

"Clausa Maxima." She replied quickly. "It was the strongest one I could think of."

"That charm isn't even in the Hogwarts curriculum." Madam Pomfrey looked suspicious. "And it's certainly not in a normal third years capability."

"Since when have I been considered normal?" Mary asked wryly. "Every time something good happens to me, I get paranoid about what part of my life is going to get royally screwed over next."

"I must say I firmly agree with that sentiment." Snape shook his head. "Idiotic brat."

"Sleep, Miss Potter." Pomfrey ordered while Snape stood and quietly exited the ward.

True to the young witch's capability, the door to the werewolf's office was locked tight and even he felt confident leaving it, knowing that not even a seventh year could break the locking charm without a professors help. Still though, he added wards of his own to be sure that no one would go in or out of the room without him knowing.

* * *

**Sirius Black**

**May 26th, 1994**

"Mr. Black." A voice pulled him from his sleepy state. "Mr. Black, I need you to sit up."

Sirius groaned as he opened his eyes and blinked at the hazy form of Poppy Pomfrey hovering over him with a mug in her hand. "Wha-?"

"Hot cocoa." The Matron helped him sit up and placed the warm mug in his hand. "There is a bar of chocolate on the table beside you when you're finished with that."

"What happened?" Sirius wondered, knowing that last he remembered he was running through the forest with Moony.

Poppy sighed and shot a spell at the curtains surrounding his bed. "You were attacked by Dementors last night. Miss Potter brought both you and Professor Lupin back into the castle as you were unconscious."

Sirius sat up, almost spilling the cocoa onto the white sheets. "Remus and Mary? Are they okay?"

"I've checked on Remus just an hour ago." Madam Pomfrey answered quietly. "He was quite shaken up, but I gave him a potion to help him rest."

"And Mary?" Sirius held his hand out in worry.

"There was an incident." Poppy held up her hand to stop him from interrupting. "From what I gather, the Dementors caused him to lose rational thought. The only way for Miss Potter to bring him in, was to Stun him. Her spell wore off just after they made it into his quarters. Mr. Black, I know this will be hard to hear, but she was bitten quite badly."

Sirius scrambled off the bed and stood, his heart trying to beat it's way out of his chest. "Where is she?"

Poppy grasped his arm tightly, stopping him. "She's in the private room. But, Mr. Black...Sirius, it was her right arm that was bitten. There is still a chance that she hasn't contracted the disease."

Sirius roughly ran his hands through his hair. "I should be with her."

Poppy nodded and moved the curtain aside, letting him find his own way to the room where Remus usually stayed after the full moon while he had been a student there.  _Remus_. He had just gotten his friend back, there was no telling how badly this would affect the poor man's state of mind. Part of him didn't care and just wanted to rip his throat out for hurting Mary, but he shoved that thought away. Remus, no doubt, had enough self-loathing to do something far more drastic, and Sirius wouldn't lose his last true friend over what was clearly an accident.

But all of those thoughts left him when he walked into the private ward to find Mary deeply asleep, her arm lying on a pillow and covered in thick blue paste. Underneath it he could see the long gouges that were stitched back together, wrapping around her thin arm entirely and leaving not but a place that would be left unmarred.

"Oh gods." Sirius sat heavily in the chair beside her bed and stared at her with profound relief and heartbreaking misery. "I'm sorry, kid."

"Sirius." The soft pain filled voice pulled his attention away from his goddaughter and he turned to see Remus standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Sirius answered quickly, transfiguring another soft arm chair on Mary's other side.

Remus stepped in and sniffed the air, his eyes fixed on Mary's arm. "I...I shouldn't be here."

Sirius looked up at him with a stony glare. "Stay."

"Siri?" Mary lifted her head and squinted her eyes.

"Hey, pup." He stood and helped her sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"Loopy." Mary grimaced. "Where's my warden?"

"Quiet you." Poppy scoffed as she walked into the room, holding a tray with a glass of water and numerous potions. "It's just the morphine talking."

"Morphine?" Remus asked quietly, drawing Mary's attention.

"Her right arm is resistant to any magic, including potions that could have healed her in a second." Poppy shook her head in resignation. "We've had to do the best we can with Muggle remedies, although I do think I'll tell Severus that he gave you too much in that last dose."

"I can't feel it." Mary poked at her arm and chuckled. "So no worries."

"Drink up, dear." Poppy handed her vial after vial of potions. "You can have some water and a light breakfast after you've finished."

Mary made a face of disgust as she handed the last empty vial back to the matron. "Thanks, ma'am."

"I'll send breakfast in momentarily." Poppy patted her leg and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"Mary." Remus started in a mere whisper. "I'm so sorry. I know there is nothing I can do to make this right, but please know that I've already handed Professor Dumbledore my resignation and I promise that I will never bother you again. I just had to see you one last time - and apologize - before I left."

"What?" Mary stared at him in confusion. "Why are you doing this? You can't leave! Please, don't leave!"

"Look at yourself." Remus stood and pointed at her mangled arm. "I did that. I hurt you. You...you can't know how much I hate myself for this. And now, knowing what I'm capable of, surely you can't want me around."

"Don't tell me what to think and how to feel." Mary growled out, her green eyes glowing slightly. "I may be young, but I'm more than capable than deciding such things for myself. What I told you at Christmas is as true today as it was then. You  _are_  part of my family, and I will not see you walk away out of guilt. And whether or not I become a werewolf doesn't change that in the slightest."

"I can't bear the thought." Remus said brokenly.

Mary reached forward and grabbed his hand, smiling warmly up at him. "You're my Moomy and I love you."

Remus leaned down and carefully pulled her into a hug, while Sirius sat back, a small smile on his face as he realized just how proud he was of her. "She's right, Remus. We're not letting you go anywhere without us."

The door opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in, four trays of food – stacked on top of each other – hovered in the air in front of him. "Ah, good. You're all here."

"Good morning, sir." Mary smiled at the elder wizard and accepted a tray for herself.

"Good morning, child." Dumbledore grinned back, his eyes twinkling as he nodded at each of them. "Dig in. I do believe the house elves have outdone themselves today. The scones look fantastic. Remus, I must apologize. I'm afraid that I cannot accept your resignation until after the school term ends."

"He was going to retract that anyway." Sirius spoke for his friend. "I think he may have gotten a bit hasty and spoke too soon."

"Wonderful to hear." Dumbledore conjured a chair for himself and sat down.

"Professor?" Mary looked up at Dumbledore while her left hand grasped the shining silver cuff on her upper arm. "Shouldn't this be burning me?"

Dumbledore stared at her over the rim of his glasses, his eyes twinkling brightly as he nodded. "Theoretically, if you had contracted Lycanthropy, it would burn you."

"So she'll be okay?" Remus looked from Dumbledore to Mary, hope shining in his eyes.

Dumbledore's eyes dimmed slightly. "I think it's a bit early to make assumptions. At worst, young Mary's arm, and arm alone will transform. But considering the way the Suppression Cuff has worked so far, I think she will not have to face that."

"Thank the gods." Remus sighed in relief.

"Mary," Dumbledore turned his gaze first to Sirius, then to her. "I'm counting on you to let me or Madam Pomfrey know immediately if you start feeling any symptoms."

"What should we look for?" Sirius turned his gaze to Remus who narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Sensitivity to light, smells, sounds." Remus said quickly. "Those were the first three things I can remember from after I turned."

Mary's hand twitched and Sirius glanced at her quickly, only to see the tightness around her eyes. And he knew then and there that she had already experienced those symptoms, but wasn't going to say anything about it. As though she felt his gaze, Mary's head turned and her eyes met his. He could see the stubborn set of her jaw and the defiance that glowed like embers behind those bright green eyes that reminded him so much of Lily that it hurt.

"Professor Dumbledore," Poppy walked in and looked at the Headmaster with a pointed look. "Professor Sprout is in the main ward. She needs to see you immediately."

"Ah," Dumbledore vanished his tray and smiled at them all. "Excuse me please."

The second the door shut, Sirius stood up and sat back down on the edge of Mary's bed. "No secrets, kid. I love you too much to lose you now."

"Sirius?" Remus leaned forward.

"Mary?" He urged her.

"Those first three symptoms." Mary whispered. "This morning I thought I was going to pass out. The lights in here just about gave me a headache. The potions, while they normally smell foul, I thought I was going to be sick. And it kin of sounds like you've all been yelling at me."

Remus' hands clenched into fists. "But silver didn't burn you."

"Not at all." Mary shook her head. "Don't worry, Remus, I'm fine. If anything I've gained some super powers and a few more wicked scars."

"Wicked?" Remus hissed, his eyes burning in guilt. "Your arm is marred beyond recognition! They scars will never fade or heal completely. They'll ache and burn the closer the moon gets. The pain goes all the way to the bone. At times you'll feel as though you'd rather cut off your limbs than deal with the tremors that race through them!"

"Remus." Sirius stood up and grasped his friend by the shoulder's while trying tot to jostle Mary's bed. "Stop. Now."

"I'm sorry." Mary looked down at the bed. "I didn't mean to make light of it, really."

The door opened once again and Madam Pomfrey poked her head in. "Mr. Black, Professor Lupin, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office immediately."

"Mary?" Sirius looked down at his goddaughter and saw the way she seemed to shrink in on herself, as though she was trying to bury herself under the covers.

"I'm tired." Mary whispered weakly.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and walked into the room holding a small bottle of blue liquid. "Dreamless Sleep, child."

Mary accepted the bottle, avoiding everyone's gaze and laid back down, pulling the covers over her head.

Remus glanced at him in remorse, but Sirius shook his head and walked out of the room, knowing that they would talk later. Remus walked beside him in silence until they both made it to the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office, which opened as soon as Sirius said his name.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk with his head down, his eyes focused on the stone pensieve that sat in front of him. "Have a seat, please."

"What's happened, sir?" Remus asked him worriedly.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment longer before he finally sighed and lifted his head. "Do you both remember the prophecy that sent the Potters into hiding?"

Sirius balked at the subject and stood up quickly, pacing the floor. "We could hardly forget it."

"Another has been made, just today." Dumbledore admitted. "Pomona happened by Professor Trelawney who was walking through the corridors aimlessly. The moment Trelawney seen her, she gave her second true prophecy to date."

With a wave of his wand, the bespectacled woman's face appeared in a ghostly haze, floating above the Pensieve.  _"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight ... before midnight ... the servant ... will set out ... to rejoin ... his master ..."_

"No." Remus choked out. "It's not possible."

Dumbledore looked every bit his age as he looked at them, twinkle absent from his eyes. "I've never believed that Lord Voldemort was truly dead. He was far too fearful of mortal life to not pursue more drastic measures to ensure his own survival. I believe he has spent these past years as a wandering spectre, biding his time until the right opportunity presented itself."

"But Mary." Sirius said heavily. "She'll be a target."

"Yes." Dumbledore said slowly. "I'm afraid that I must ask a lot of you both for a time to come. Sirius, with the Blood Wards no longer protecting Mary, she will need a place that will be far safer than a flat in the middle of a busy street."

Sirius grimaced and gritted his teeth. "I have full control over Grimmauld Place. The wards will keep anyone out. We can even put the Fidelius over it. It will need cleaning though, it's been empty since my mother's death."

"Would you be willing to prepare it for Order meetings, if it comes to that?" Dumbledore asked him seriously.

"Of course." Sirius agreed quickly.

"And me, sir?" Remus leaned forward, as though waiting a sentence from a judge.

"When the time comes," Dumbledore sighed. "I will need you to find other's with Lycanthropy and try to keep them from joining Lord Voldemort's forces as they did last time."

Remus nodded in resignation. "Of course, sir."

They left the office the way the came, in complete silence, both of them lost in dark and warring thoughts. Sirius knew that there was only thing that mattered, and that was keeping Mary both safe and happy. While he knew better than to mention anything in front of Dumbledore, he was already resolute in his decision to tell Mary about both prophecies. Like himself, she was not one who did well with secrets and always handled more information better than none.

He would train her. He would teach her. He would make sure that she was ready to face any threat in her path. He would make sure she survived. But more than anything, he would make sure that she was loved and happy.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	14. The Leaving Feast

**Hermione Granger**

While she was still young, and had a lot left to learn, Hermione had always prided herself in being both more studious and observant than most of her peers. It wasn't that she thought herself better than them, if anything it was a downfall of her's, but in most situations, she was able to help and do more for others by simply applying her knowledge to difficult situations. But lately she felt at a loss.

Mary was hiding something - something big - and Hermione didn't know how to handle it. She'd always trusted the younger girl to do the right thing and it had never really seemed to be a problem. If there was an issue or problem, Mary, Ron and herself would figure it out and deal with it. It didn't matter if it was homework or Voldemort, they were always together, a team. But over the past year, it felt as though she and Ron were left in the dark, being given only vague bits of information. And quite frankly it rankled and Hermione wasn't going to let it go. Mary needed her friends, and Hermione wasn't going to sit quietly and let her best friend do something that could quite possibly get her hurt.

But she had been too late. By the time Professor McGonagall walked into the Common Room for the head count, news was already spreading around the tower that a student had been attacked in the most recent Dementor invasion. Ron's eyes met hers from across the room and they both stepped toward the stern Professor.

She looked from Ron to Hermione and sighed deeply. "Potter is in the hospital wing. As far as I know, she's going to be just fine, but she isn't allowed visitors."

"Did the Dementors get to her again?" Ron asked worriedly.

"I wasn't given details, Mr Weasley." The older woman put a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'll let you know as soon as I find anything else out."

But it wasn't Professor McGonagall that approached them the next morning, It was Sirius, looking tired and like he had been drug through a hedgerow backwards. His usually bright smile was absent from his pale face and his eyes held no sparkle.

He sat heavily between Ron and herself, ignoring the curious stares of the surrounding students. "Mary wanted me to let you know that she's okay and that Madam Pomfrey is threatening to keep her in the infirmary for the rest of the year if she has visitors."

"What happened?" Hermione leaned forward, her mind coming to conclusions that she didn't like considering the date. "She's never been banned from having visitors before. Why is Madam Pomfrey denying her that right?"

"Whoa." Sirius leaned back slightly, his eyes widening. "Don't get all worked up about it. Mary agreed to the deal so that she could escape earlier. I promise. Madam Pomfrey may be strict, but she has Mary's best interest at heart. Considering everything, we should all be grateful that she gets such great care here."

"Yeah," Ron nodded emphatically. "She usually visits the infirmary more than all the other students combined."

"Well," Sirius whispered. "I'm going to need both of you to help me this summer. I'll be teaching Mary dueling and defensive skills. You're welcome to join if you'd like."

Ron's eyes met hers and where she thought she would find enthusiasm and glee, all she could sense from her best friend was a calm determination. It mirrored her own stance to the tee. It had always been the three of them against some of the biggest obstacles most adults would never face. Nothing would change that now. She would figure out what Mary was hiding. She would help her. And she'd do everything in her power to keep her and Ron safe.

"We'll help out as much as we can." Ron answered for them both.

* * *

**Mary Potter**

Little did Sirius and Hermione know, Mary already had all the information she needed. Even while laying in the lonely room in the infirmary, she was coming up with ways to make the future better, safer, for those around her.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Mary asked as the matron finished bandaging her arm. "Can I leave today, before dinner? No one knows about Remus and I'd rather not have rumors starting."

Madam Pomfrey gave her a searching look and nodded. "You'll be wearing the sling again. Even you should know that getting too close to the Whomping Willow can be dangerous."

Mary caught the sly smile on the older woman's face and smirked. "And my damn Muggle arm can't be healed the normal way. Those sharp twigs and branches just ripped it apart."

Despite the stinging pain in her arm, Madam Pomfrey let her leave the hospital wing, promising that if she didn't visit everyday, the matron would come looking for her. "I mean it, child, you don't want me to have to track you down."

"I'll drag her here myself." Professor McGonagall stepped around the curtain, holding a stack of freshly laundered robes. "After all, she can't keep her promise of accompanying me to Diagon Alley if she's unwell."

"I'll be here." Mary promised again with a laugh. "You're going to have to beat Sirius to the stores, Professor. He's bound and determined to buy everything he sees."

She sniffed indignantly and lifted her chin. "I've been managing Black for years. He'll dare not cross me. And if gives you any kind of trouble, Potter, you owl me immediately."

"Yes, ma'am." Mary bit her lip to hide her smile, immediately grateful for the longsleeved shirt, knowing that it was vitally important to keep the wounds hidden. "Looks like I'll be needing a wardrobe adjustment for the summer."

"You've grown taller." McGonagall nodded quickly. "And I've recently been told to put Dress Robes on the supply list, so we'll be looking into those towards the end of summer."

Mary grimaced and made a face at the thought of having to dress up, but then realization hit that it wasn't just any old party. Right then and there she decided that going to the Yule Ball was not going to happen unless it was an extreme emergency. She was stuck in that dazed mindest of excuses and mental preparation while she walked back to Gryffindor Tower after her escape. Not that it helped, she'd barely made it into the Common Room when Ron and Hermione pulled her to the side.

"Why were you in the Hospital wing again?" Ron asked worriedly. "Fred and George said that you disappeared after the pick up game."

Mary made sure that no one was within eavesdropping distance and spoke quietly, her ears still ringing from the loud laughter that filled the room. "Sirius and Professor Lupin were on the grounds last night. I had to warn them about the dementors. But I ended up getting too close to the Whomping Willow and it kind of tore up my arm."

Hermione's gaze narrowed as she stared down at the sling in disbelief. "Last night was the full moon."

"Yeah." Mary nodded, knowing that Hermione was probably well aware of the secret. "Too bad I was injured after the exams ended, might have been nice to get an extension on them. I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Ron shrugged. "Nothing interesting other than the Twins being more irritating than normal. They've been pranking everybody."

"I'll have a talk with them." Mary smirked, patting Ron on the shoulder as she turned around and spotted the two redheads trying to talk a second year into eating an odd looking sweet.

Hermione grabbed her good arm and Mary turned to smile at her with a pointed look on her face. "Later, 'Mione. I'll explain everything to you and Ron. I promise."

Hermione nodded and sat back down while Mary walked up to the Twins. "Fred, George, I need a word with you two in private."

Fred looked at her in a mixture of curiousity and worry as he looked at her arm and the cast. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Mary shrugged. "It's important. Come on."

They followed her out of the Common room and down to Professor Lupin's quarters, talking quietly about the pick up Quidditch match. Mary knocked on the door and Sirius opened it quickly, then stood there in surprise to see the two Weasleys with Mary.

"I need a favor from you and Moony." Mary whispered to where only he could hear her.

Sirius nodded quickly and smiled to the Twins. "Come on in. Tea's about ready."

And with great pride, Mary introduced the infamous Weasley Twins to their idols the Marauder's. Sirius and Remus both laughed loudly at the Twins' stories about some of their failed pranks and the two redheads both listened intently as the older generation of pranksters gave their words of wisdom.

"These two need a safe place to experiment." Mary looked at her godfather with pleading eyes. "What do you say, Padfoot?"

Sirius looked from Fred to George to Remus. "We could use the help cleaning the old place up."

"They're quite talented with spells." Remus nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we could find a suitable place."

"What do you say?" Mary asked the shell shocked twins. "Would you be okay moving your enterprise to our place?"

"Working with the Marauders?" Fred beamed at them.

George bowed his head solemnly. "It would be an honor."

Later that night, Mary returned to the Common room, only to stop by the portrait hole and wave Ron and Hermione over. "I have something to show you guys."

They walked together in silence, not wanting to attract attention as it was getting quite close to curfew.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked in confusion as Mary paced in front of a portrait.

Hermione gasped when the door appeared out of nowhere. "What is this place?"

"Come on." Mary led them into the room and shut the door behind them. "Welcome to the Room of Requirement. It turns into just about anything that you want it to. I found it not long ago."

"Is this where you've been hiding out at night?" Hermione asked with a knowing look. "You can't deny it, Mary. You've looked exhausted even when you've claimed to go to bed early every night. Not to mention that when I check on you at night you're not in your bed."

"Yeah," Mary shrugged. "I come here to study without bothering anybody."

"This is bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed as he walked around the room. "We can use this as a hideout if we needed to."

"So about the Whomping Willow?" Hermione crossed her arms and sat down on the couch. "How about you tell us the real story."

Mary sighed and ran a hand across her face, trying to find the best way to put her thoughts into words. "What do you know about Professor Lupin?"

Hermione waited for Ron to sit down and breathed deeply. "He's been absent during every full moon. I've even caught him coming back into the castle on the mornings after. He looks pale and sickly during that time, always better a few days later. I think he's a werewolf."

"What?" Ron gaped at her in disbelief.

"It's true." Mary nodded tiredly. "I probably shouldn't have told you, but there was no way to keep this secret from you. So I'm trusting you both not to make a big deal out of it."

Ron looked green and horrified, but Hermione nodded quickly. "He bit you."

Mary undid the strap on her sling and carefully pulled her sleeve up. "Yes."

"Shite!" Ron jumped back, staring at Mary with furious pained eyes. "We have to call the Ministry!"

"NO!" Mary stood quickly. "You can't do that, Ron."

"But he hurt you!" Ron cried out, eyes widened in fear. "He's a bloody werewolf, Mary! You can't trust him!"

"I do trust him!" Mary shouted back. "He was a close friend of my parents. And he didn't mean to hurt me. Snape brews him the Wolfsbane potion every month and he's completely safe to be around. It was the Dementors that mucked it all up the other night. Their presence overode the potion, it made him irrational. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I don't regret it. Sirius was already unconscious by then and Remus was barely keeping it together. Had I not been there they would have both been Kissed. He didn't mean to bite me. I surprised him and he just reacted."

"But you're a werewolf!" Ron moved toward her, grasping her shoulders gently. "You'll be outcast."

"I'm not a werewolf, Ron." Mary shook her head, placing her hand on the silver cuff. "This should have burned me. But it doesn't, because this magical cuff kept the disease contained. I'm okay."

"You're sure?" Hermione asked, looking at the scars with sympathy. "Sure that you can trust him?"

"Of course." Mary smiled at them. "You both know what he's like. He's a kind man, he'd never hurt anybody. Normally he locks himself up during the full moon, but when the Dementors attacked the Shrieking Shack where he was staying, he had no choice but to run."

"Okay." Ron nodded and squared his jaw. "I don't like it, but I'll trust him if you say so."

"No." Mary smiled sadly. "Don't do that. Just keep the secret and get to know him. He's part of my life. Part of my family. I'm not going to ask you to like him because he's important to me."

"But we already like him." Hermione smiled at her. "He kind of treats you like my dad treats me. We know how much he cares about you, Mary. We're just worried about your safety during the full moon."

"He always goes to a safehouse." Mary sighed in relief, grateful for her wonderful friends. "But I have one more request from you guys. Now that I have a more hospitable home, I need you guys to visit frequently. I can't stand the thought of going another summer without seeing you."

"You'll get sick of seeing me." Ron said seriously. "Percy's already talking non-stop about his job interview at the Ministry. I'm going to go barmy if I'm stuck at home with him."

"You can count on me visiting." Hermione nodded resolutely. "Someone has to make sure you get your summer assignments finished."

Mary laughed as Ron groaned, while she pulled them both into a quick hug.

* * *

**June 7th, 1994**

The Great Hall was packed full and everyone was talking loudly, excited over the upcoming summer holidays. Ignoring the typical standards, Mary, Ron and Hermione sat at the Hufflepuff table with Susan, Hannah, and Ernie.

"Any room over there for us?" Daphne called from across the hall.

Hannah smiled and waved her over, leaning over to a firstie. "Go sit with your Gryffindor friends. Take this lot with you."

The nervous looking first year looked over to the Gryffindor table and waved at Dennis Creevey, who waved at him with a wide smile. Before long, half of the Hufflepuff table was covered with third years from all different houses, eating and talking while exchanging Floo addresses and in some cases, phone numbers.

"Here." Mary pulled a biro out of her robe pocket and wrote her mobile number and Floo address on it, then duplicated it twenty times, handing it out to each of her friends. "You're all welcome to call or Floo anytime. Otherwise I'm counting on you guys to owl me."

"You're staying with Professor Lupin, aren't you?" Tracey asked with a wistful gaze.

Mary bit her lip to hide her smirk, knowing that Tracey had a small crush on Moony. "Yeah, he's my other godfather."

"How the mighty fall." Malfoy smirked as he walked by, his bodyguards not far behind. "Mary Potter, living with a lonely werewolf. You better watch out, Weasley. Get bitten and you'll end up poor  _and_  destitute."

"Shut up." Mary growled, standing slowly. "You have no right to say anything about him."

"You can't deny it." Malfoy laughed loudly. "Or did your arm shred itself?"

Mary marched toward him in fury, not noticing the way Malfoy's mouth had disappeared, leaving a blank patch of skin where it should have been. She pulled off her cloak and threw it to the ground, ready to knock the little shit's lights out. Hands grasped her arms and she pulled free with an ease that seemed almost fluid. It wasn't until she had backed Malfoy into the corner of the Great Hall that someone managed to break through the haze of of rage.

"Potter!" Snape grasped her shoulders, pulling her back and turning her around to face him. "Control yourself!"

Mary ground her teeth and looked away, trying to get her temper under control. "Can I go back to my table, sir?"

"Go." Snape sneered at her in disgust, letting go of her arm and pushing her towards the friends that were watching her in a mixture of shock and sympathy.

No one else knew that Remus was a werewolf. Either one of the people she cared deeply about betrayed her trust, or Wormtail was talking to someone. Either way, it didn't bode well for any of them. And more importantly, it put them all in a lot of danger, knowing that someone out there was giving away vital information.

By the next morning, the whole of Hogwarts knew that Remus was a werewolf. Worst of all, they didn't stop pointing or staring all during breakfast. Mary's appetite was gone and she pushed her food around her plate with her fork, trying not to let the let irritation take over.

"Don't listen to them." Daphne put a hand on her arm. "Being a werewolf doesn't change the kind of person that Professor Lupin is. We all like him, so don't think those idiots' opinions matter on wit to us."

"She's right." Hermione said proudly. "Don't let them get to you, Mary. That's what they want."

She looked around and realized that none of them had left despite the fact that one of her godfathers was a werewolf. "I appreciate this. And I won't forget it."

They nodded and went back to talking about the upcoming summer. Daphne, Tracey, Lavender, and Parvati were all talking about the newest fashion styles, both Muggle and Wizarding alike. Neville, Padma Ernie, and Hannah leaned their heads together as they quietly discussed what their family homes were like.

Ron nudged Mary with his elbow. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Mary smiled, looking at the houses united and all of her friends, then turned to her best mate. "I think it's going to be an interesting summer."

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	15. A Grim Old Place

**June 20th, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

Mary rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen of her flat a couple days after the Express had dropped her off in London. A folded up paper with flashing images caught her eye and she opened it, lurching back as the images flashed brightly.

**_FUDGE FOUND INCOMPETENT! UNDERSECRETARY UMBRIDGE BEHIND DEMENTOR ATTACKS! MADAM AMELIA BONES VOTED INTERIM MINISTER!_ **

The Daily Prophet's headline screamed the news at her as she rubbed her eyes, still half awake and in desperate need of something to wake her up, but she could not put the paper down. According to the reports, Umbridge had set the Dementors on an unknown task and as of yet, she hadn't revealed what she'd ordered them to do. Fudge had been investigated and the DMLE found multiple instances of him taking bribes to change laws or have others pushed through without taking it up with the Wizengamot. There was no news of who had been bribing the former Minister, but Mary was sure that Malfoy was one of them. Just like she knew it in her heart that Umbridge set the Dementors on her in revenge for Sirius being free.

While thrilled that Fudge had been replaced, she couldn't help but worry about the consequences that such a major change would bring. There was still too much for her to do, and if things changed to the point that it interfered with her task, she would have no choice but to seek out some one who could help her.

Mary put a kettle on the stove and leaned heavily on the counter, letting the cool counter-top ease the ache in her Muggle arm. The full moon was still a few days away, but the pain she felt was reaching her tolerance threshold. Cold seemed to help a little, but if her arm became too cold it took hours to stop the deep ache.

"Miss Mary!" Dobby exclaimed, his sudden appearance causing her to stumble in shock. "Young miss is being up too early."

"I couldn't sleep any longer." Mary yawned. "Too much on my mind."

Dobby grasped her elbow and gently led her to the table. "You are tired. Dobby will get breakfast ready."

Mary refused to sit. "I'm fine. Let me help you. It's not your fault I'm awake at this time of day."

"If Mary will be getting the tea ready, Dobby will tend to the rest." The small elf crossed his arms and gave her a pointed look.

"Agreed, Sir Dobby." Mary bowed, causing the little elf to flush under the praise.

They sat together and talked while eating a light breakfast, both trying their best to be quiet and not wake Sirius or Remus, knowing that they Marauders stayed up way too late. After cleaning the kitchen again, Mary went back to her room and started on her summer essays.

Hours later, Sirius knocked on her door frame, stepping into her room as she put her quill down. "Kid, please tell me you're not doing homework your first day back."

She arched her brows and gave him a pointed look. "There is no way I'm going to enjoy the holiday knowing that I have close to six feet of essays to complete. If I do it all now I'll be completely free."

Sirius sighed in defeat. "Think you can take a break so we can go to my parents old house? The goblins have been nagging me about it falling into disrepair. And as Head of the family, it kind of makes me responsible for it."

Mary bit the inside of her cheek in an effort to hide her surprise. "Sure."

"I'll meet you in the kitchen." Sirius walked out of the room muttering to himself. "Already doing her assignments. It's not even right."

Mary jumped up the second he was out of sight and closed the door quietly, then went to her trunk and dug out the wooden box that held the vial of basilisk venom, the goblin dagger, and the destroyed Horcrux. There was no guarantee that she would even find the Locket in the same place, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. She wrapped the dagger and vial in an old jumper and stuffed it in the bottom of her book bag, then grabbed a clean set of robes, her red journal, a textbook, and put them on top of it.

"Ready!" Mary called out, walking into the kitchen while pulling her hair up into a bun. "Let's do this thing."

Sirius sent her an amused smile as he grabbed the pot of Floo powder from the mantle and handed it to her. "I'll have to go through first, but the address is Twelve Grimmauld Place."

Mary nodded and bounced on the balls of her feet, wariness and anticipation setting in, making her feel like she was constantly on edge. She knew for a fact that the Horcruxes were something that she'd have to deal with, hopefully before Voldemort began trying to regain a body, but it wasn't going to be an easy task.

Minutes later, the Floo spat her out onto a dark floor that was covered in such a thick layer of dust and grime that she couldn't tell whether it was wood or stone beneath her hands and feet. Dark walls covered in cobwebs surrounded her and the room was lit with only one small torch that barely gave her enough light to make out what was what. Sirius stood there, his whole frame stiff as a board as his eyes traveled around the room, taking it all in.

"This place needs a lot of work." Mary whistled in dismay.

"Yeah." Sirius turned to her, his eyes shadowed and haunted. "I'm rubbish at cleaning spells."

Mary pulled her pack off her shoulder and grabbed the thick book off the top. "I've brought a book on it. Don't tell Hermione, she'll think she's converted me."

Sirius laughed loudly, some of the lines disappearing from his face, until they heard  _her_.

"WHO DARES DISGRACE THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK!" The portrait screeched, startling Mary. "SHOW YOURSELVES!"

"Mum." Sirius winced and opened the door leading into the hallway. "Stay close, kid. There's no telling what kind of infestations this place has bred over the years."

"When is Remus coming over?" She asked, trying to ignore the creepy feeling of the house.

"As soon as he turns in his graded exams to Dumbledore. But he should have been back already." Sirius stopped moving and Mary had her wand in her hand in the next second.

"You!" The woman in the painting hissed in disgust. "Traitorous vermin. Bane of my flesh."

"Oh shut it." Sirius rolled his eyes and pulled the curtains closed. "Let's get back to the dining room and see if we can get any of those cleaning spells to work. We'll start there and work our way out."

Mary shrugged her shoulders and turned around, knowing that Sirius didn't want to talk about the foul woman. "Sounds good to me."

They leaned side by side against the table as Mary flipped to the chapter that indicated deep cleaning spells and dust removal. They both practiced the wand movement, then Sirius made Mary stand back as he lift his wand and cast the spell.

A lone cobweb disappeared and Sirius looked down at the book in disdain. "We'd have better luck doing this the Muggle way."

" _Tollere Pulverem_." Mary cast the same spell at the far wall, leaving it completely dust and grime free, but not looking much better. "Worked fine for me. But all the same, it might be best to simply strip the wallpaper off, otherwise we'll always have to deal with the corners peeling down."

"I think I can handle the vanishing spells." Sirius laughed, waving his wand and making a large strip of old wallpaper disappear.

When Remus arrived hours later, Mary and Sirius were still in the dining room, putting both magic and elbow grease into getting the room clean enough to use. The ceiling and moldings were clean and a bright shade of white. The walls had been stripped of wallpaper and were painted a light cream color, finally letting the torches bring a brightness and sense of life into the formerly dreary room.

"Working hard?" Remus laughed at the way dust and wallpaper debris clung to both of them.

Mary chuckled at him and brushed her dirty face on her sleeve. "Sirius happens to be ace with painting charms! I'm doing all the cleaning though."

"Hi, Moony." Sirius looked up from the book. "Hurry up with the floor, kid. I think I've got the wand movement down for a getting the floors to look glossy."

Remus looked at Mary with wide eyes. "Wow."

"Yeah," Mary shook her head and cast another cleansing charm at the floor, pulling away another layer of dust. "It's kind of scary."

"Did you get the trunks, Remus?" Sirius looked up, closing the book.

The greying man patted his pocket and nodded. "Got them both."

"What'd you get?" Mary asked curiously.

"Two trunks, both with expansion charms, one is empty and we'll be able to stuff all of this dark and dingy furniture in it, the other contains new and shiny furnishings." Sirius said wiggling his fingers at the long black table. "So say goodbye to these antiques. They won't be coming back. They'll be locked up in Gringotts along with everything else not permanently attached to this wretched place. Hopefully that'll include my dear old mum."

Mary's heart almost stopped at the thought of how hard it would be to get Slytherin's Locket out of Gringotts. There was nothing for it, she'd have to be at each and every cleaning until she found the damned thing.

With the three of them working together - Remus packing away the furnishings, Mary cleaning, and Sirius painting and polishing, - they were finished by dinner time. Mary looked around the large grand room in pride. It was beautiful and she could barely recognize it.

Thus began the pattern for the beginning of the holiday. They would have breakfast and then set out to tackle a new room at the Most Ancient House of Black. With the formal dining room now looking like something out of one of Aunt Petunia's magazines, they went on to tackle the drawing room.

"Poor Mistress," a croaking voice echoed through the dark hallway. "Being awaken at all hours by the traitorous boy and his brat. Kreacher is sorry, Mistress."

"Kreacher." Sirius snarled lowly. "We've been here for three weeks and he just now shows up? I'd hope he'd died."

"Kreacher could say the same." The old withered elf said as he slowly walked out of the room.

Sirius darted forward, his hand's outstretched to wring the elf's neck, when Mary stepped into his path to stop him, taking the brunt of the push meant for the elf. Mary skidded to the floor and pushed herself back up, ready to stun Sirius if she had to.

"Let me talk to him, Siri." Mary held her hands up in a signal for peace as she placed her hand on the elf's shoulder and pushed him back into the drawing room despite his look of disgust.

"No, Mary." Sirius growled at her. "He can't be trusted."

"You can trust me." She gave him a pointed look. "I know how to defend myself. The two of you have a lot of bad history and I don't want that to get in the way."

"Kreacher!" Sirius stared at the elf with a burning gaze. "I order you to follow any command that Mary gives you without complaint. You are to treat her far better than you've ever treated me."

Kreacher's head twitched in what could only be the best way he had to agree. Mary didn't hesitate as she shut the door to the drawing room. "Sit on the couch, Kreacher."

The old elf stared at her in disdain and leaned against the couch, crossing his thin arms in defiance. Mary took that as a good sign and walked over to the glass curio where the Locket sat amidst the dusty piles of ancient artifacts. The funny thing was, the locket didn't have a speck of dirt on it, looking as clean and shiny as though it was brand new. The thin glass shelf was also missing dust in the place where it sat, showing that it had been taken out and cleaned quite frequently.

"What does the girl think she is doing?" Kreacher stood up, staring at her with wide eyes. "The little mudblood bitch shouldn't be touching Master Regulus's things."

Mary ignored him and set the Locket on the floor as she pulled the dagger out of her cloak pocket. She cast one look at the door and cast a strong locking charm on it, so that no one could interrupt and no matter what happened. If things got out of hand, at least she knew that Kreacher could easily get to safety.

" _Open_." She said in Parseltongue.

The latch clicked and the locket opened, pouring thick dark smoke into the room. Without waiting for the defense mechanism to kick in, Mary plunged the dagger into the center of the locket, causing the whole room to shake and tremble. The mirrors and glass lamps shattered, the curtains burst into flames and the furniture seemed to crack under the strong assault of magical energy. A low keening scream echoed throughout the room and then finally it all went silent.

Mary lifted her head and saw that Kreacher had dropped to his knees, his wide eyes stared at the broken locket with an indefinable expression as she stuffed it into her robe pocket. She stood carefully, and brushed the debris from her hair as she walked over and helped him to his feet.

"It's over, Kreacher." She whispered, ignoring the way Sirius pounded on the door. "It's destroyed. You're task is completed. All I ask is that you not tell anyone what happened here."

Kreacher nodded at her with thick tears running from his eyes, still not moving from his place beside the couch.

Mary waved her wand, unlocking the door, and Sirius and Remus ran in, wands at the ready, looking fit to hex anyone and everything that came in their path.

"Mary!" Remus ran toward her, pulling her into a hug. "Are you okay?"

"What did the little shit do?" Sirius bore down on the old elf, glaring at him in hatred.

"Stop." Mary said quickly. "Kreacher is alright. It wasn't his fault the door locked. You know how wonky this house is, Siri. We were just talking and a Boggart crawled out of the curio. I may have went overboard hexing it until I realized what it was."

"Young Mistress saved Kreacher." The house elf stared at her in wonder. "She has brought honor back to the House of Black."

Sirius looked from Mary to Kreacher in flat out confusion. "What the hell did  _you_  do, kid?"

"Nothing really. Just showed him the benefits of cooperation." Mary shrugged and smiled widely, putting her hand on the elf's bony shoulder. "You're going to help us get this place clean and worthy of the Black family name, aren't you, Kreacher."

Kreacher nodded quickly. "Of course, young Miss. Kreacher will be doing anything you is wanting."

Sirius quickly ordered Kreacher to start cleaning the entryway, and the small elf didn't hesitate to comply. Both of her guardians shot her pointed looks as Mary worked that day, but she did her best to ignore their odd behavior. In all honesty, she felt like she was on cloud nine. Another Horcrux had been destroyed. Kreacher, a being who had spent years living in the shadows of his inability to destroy the Locket, had been freed of his task. And Mary was one piece closer to defeating Voldemort.

* * *

**June 23rd, 1994**

Mary, Sirius, and Remus Floo'd back to the Hogwarts Infirmary for the full moon. Mary was doing everything that she could to remain calm and act like it would all be alright, but the pain in her arm made her feel like things were only going to get worse. It'd started out as a dull ache that she attributed to working long hours cleaning up Grimmauld Place, but in the end she had to face the facts that the full moon was approaching and it was the true cause for the gnawing ache that radiated through her arm.

Remus quietly accepting the smoking goblet of Wolfsbane potion from Snape, the latter looking as though he'd rather be anywhere but there with a known werewolf and a potential werewolf.

"Will I have to drink that too?" Mary whispered to Snape.

"Wolfsbane is fatal to humans, Potter. We have yet to know if you have contracted the disease, so dosing you would be unwise." His dark eyes peered down at her as though he was examining a bug. "However, I am developing a variation of it should you need it."

"Oh," Mary said, shock lining her tone. "Thank you, sir."

Remus put a shaky hand on her shoulder and Mary turned around to see him looking quite green. "I better go, Mary. I truly am sorry."

Mary pulled him to her and hugged him. "It wasn't your fault. No matter what happens, I'll love you all the same."

"Love you too, Mary Jane." Remus put his head down and backed out of the room dejectedly.

Mary spotted Sirius staring at his friend in pity. "You're not going with him, Siri?"

"He wanted me to stay with you." Sirius replied.

"I think you should go." Mary urged him. "It's not like I'm throwing a party here, I don't need an audience."

"No." Sirius shook his head vehemently.

Mary was getting angry. How could he just leave Remus at a time like this? Remus felt guilty enough as it was and with Sirius staying behind with her it would seem as though he was picking sides. Mary didn't want to come between the lifelong friends. And truthfully, she couldn't face Sirius or Remus if she did transform. If that happened she would simply run away, taking out all of the Horcruxes she could find before finding Voldemort to finish her off. In all actuality, that's likely what she should have done in the first place, but she'd been tempted by the thought of a normal life, and now she was too invested in her family to walk away.

"I don't want you here." Mary finally said, glaring at her godfather. "This is difficult enough as it is, Sirius. I'd feel a lot better if I knew you were keeping an eye on Moony. I don't want him to hurt himself."

Sirius gripped her upper arms gently, his grey eyes boring into her's as he searched her face. "Are you sure?"

"Please," Mary begged. "Go to Moony."

"I'll be back as soon as the moon sets." Sirius assured her, pulling her into a firm hug. "You'll be fine, kiddo. I promise."

"I know." Mary tried to smile. "I'm not worried."

She should have been, Mary realized a few hours later. She was locked in the private room in the back of the infirmary. There were no windows and the door was spelled shut so that she couldn't have opened it had she tried. Madam Pomfrey had instructed her to rest, but she was in too much pain. She felt as though she'd rather have her arm cut off than feel like this. She paced the floor in front of the bed, inwardly seething about how screwed up all of this was. Each time she tried to change something, or try to protect her friends and family, she ended up paying for it. Maybe this was Fate's way of telling her to keep her head down and stop trying to fix what hadn't happened yet.

"How are you feeling, Potter?" Professor Snape's voice came from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine." Mary replied through gritted teeth, struggling with the urge to rip off the bandages and claw at her arm.

The door opened and Snape stepped in, closing the door behind himself, while he kept his wand at his side. "Show me your arm, Potter?"

Mary nodded and pulled her arm out of the sling, flexing her fingers and wincing as another wave of agony washed through the cursed appendage. "What's wrong, sir?"

"The moon is now at it's peak." Snape let out a breath. "It seems your luck held out once again."

"That's great." Mary sat heavily on the bed, feeling as though her death sentence had been lifted.

"How bad is the pain?" Snape pinned her with a shrewd and calculating stare.

"Manageable." Mary ground out.

"Really?" Snape tilted his head slightly. "Flex your fingers, Potter."

She tried, she really did, but her hand wouldn't cooperate. "It's just a little cramped up."

Snape reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small tub of blue paste. "I've modified the Muggle healing paste by adding in a pain reliever. Apply it generously and let me know if it works at all."

Mary stuck the tub between her knees, trying to open the jar, but it kept slipping out of her hand. She huffed angrily, searching the small room for a way to open it.

"Here, Potter," Snape shook his head, taking the jar and opening it. "Can you handle this part or do I need to call in Madam Pomfrey?"

"I've got it." Mary worked quickly, spreading the paste all the way up her arm until it reached the silver cuff. She didn't care that she'd made a mess of it and now had blue paste on her jumper and in her hair. "Ah, that's nice."

The ache was easing quickly, and what was a tidal wave of pain ebbed until it was just a nagging ache. "What's in that stuff? More morphine?"

"No." Snape said, his tone making it clear he wouldn't be delving further into the subject. "How is the pain now?"

"Loads better!" Mary flexed her hand. "I think I want to hug you!"

"Don't even try it." Snape glared at her, handing her a deep blue potion vial. "Dreamless Sleep. Drink it now and you should be recovered by the time your mutt arrives."

Mary downed the contents of the vial quickly and handed it back to Snape. "Thank you, sir. For everything."

"Sleep, Potter." He ordered her, walking out of the room and dimming the lights with a wave of his wand.

When she woke the next morning, both Sirius and Remus were thrilled to hear the good news. Snape, well, Mary thought he was just glad that they were finally leaving.

The following weeks fell into an easy routine of cleaning and renewing the old home and each day it became more and more bearable to be there. The infestations of spiders and flesh eating ghouls had been dealt with by Moony, Sirius had effectively found a way to remove all of the portraits – including his mother's - from the Grimmauld Place, and Mary was just doing her best to help out.

After many letter's from the Weasley matriarch, Mary had finally given in and asked for the help of the younger Weasleys knowing that she could use all of the help she could get. It actually worked, Mrs. Weasley had been all too thrilled to let her kids help with the clean up process and had even taken to coming over some days to lend a helping hand, always bring a large basket of food with her.

"Now I know that Dobby and Kreacher are taking good care of you." Mrs. Weasley looked over at the two elves fondly. "But I'm quite proud of my steak and kidney pie and couldn't let such food go to waste."

Remus accepted the plate with a grateful smile. "You're too good to us, Molly."

Mrs. Weasley gave Sirius a stern look. "Sirius, I know that you have a lot of work to do, but I've invited Mary for a sleep over with Ginny this evening and I hope that you'll let her come. Hermione will be back from her holiday abroad and I'm sure the girls would love a chance to catch up."

"Of course." Sirius said emphatically. "Mary's had it on her calendar for weeks."

"I'm all packed." Mary looked over at Ron. "Should I bring my broom?"

"Sure," he nodded quickly. "Fred and George are helping me keep up with training. Even Ginny's been playing."

"Brilliant." Mary replied quickly, then tucked back in to her food.

"You're more than welcome to Floo over after dinner, dear." Mrs. Weasley offered, looking at her hopefully.

Mary glanced at Sirius and he smirked at her and nodded, knowing that she couldn't wait to see her friends outside of the tedious task of cleaning house. "I'll just get my bag."

Kreacher snapped his fingers and her knapsack appeared by the fireplace. "You are ready, Mistress. Finish your meal."

"Yes, sir." Mary chuckled, going back to her delicious food.

Hermione was already there when they Floo'ed back to the Burrow, waiting at the table with Ginny and enjoying pudding when Mary stumbled out of the fireplace and barely caught herself before crashing into the table.

"Mary!" Hermione pulled her into a quick hug. "It's so good to see you."

"You too, 'Mione." Mary hugged her back. "Hiya, Ginny."

"How's the cleaning going?" Ginny asked with a grin.

Mary let go of Hermione and shrugged. "Most of the the creepy crawlies are gone, along with everything else. Sirius thinks we'll start taking out walls next week."

"You're renovating that much?" Hermione asked curiously. "It must take a lot of spellwork."

"They've got it well handled, dear." Mrs. Weasley interjected before Hermione started interrogating them all on the intricate wand work that went into renovating magic homes.

Ginny took her and Hermione's plates to the sink and walked back with a smirk on her face. "Let's go get settled in."

"Don't stay up too late, girls." Mrs. Weasley yelled when they made it to the stairs.

Ginny turned and made a funny face, rolling her eyes as they went into her small but cozy bedroom. Despite Mrs Weasley's request, they stayed up talking until almost dawn, letting each other explain the ins and outs of their summer holidays so far.


	16. A Very Weasley Weekend

**July 24th**

**Bill Weasley**

"I just don't agree with Dumbledore letting the poor dear live with two bachelors." Mum put a plateful of sandwiches on the table in front of Charlie and himself. "Your father and I have offered many times to take her in, but the Headmaster won't hear of it. If it was up to me, you'd both be having another sister to deal with. Even your father is on board with adopting her."

"Why isn't she with her Muggle family?" Bill asked and picked up a plate and sandwich. "Wasn't that where she was last year?"

"Those horrible people." Mum growled at the stove and Charlie grimaced, looking up at Bill at her tone. "They don't deserve to be called a family to anything, let alone that sweet child. You're father heard that her uncle hit her so hard that he busted her lip and that by the time the Department of Magical Catastrophes arrived her face was one big bruise. The year before that your brothers stole your father's enchanted car to rescue her from that place because they had kept her locked up in that room without food for over a month. Even Professor McGonagall said that the poor girl lived in the cupboard under the stairs for ten years, right up until she received her Hogwarts letter."

"Why didn't anyone help her?" Charlie asked, ever the savior of anything injured.

"No one knew, of course." Mum said darkly. "She never told a soul. These things weren't known until after that nasty Aunt of her's kicked her out. I should have known when the first time I met her she acted as though she had never been given a hug in her life. And that Muggle all but admitted to the abuse when Dumbledore requested that Mary return to live with them."

"The Headmaster wanted her to go back?" Bill narrowed his eyes. "Even after hearing how bad it was for her?"

"He said something about special wards that would keep her safe, but if you ask me," Mum waved her bread knife at them and summoned the empty platter off the table. "that child was in far more danger in that house than out. But now she's living with that Sirius Black and I don't think he was the wisest choice of guardian for a young girl who's had such a hard life."

"You said she was living with  _two_  bachelors." Charlie observed and stuffed half a sandwich into his mouth earning a glare from their mother.

"Well," Mum said fondly. "Remus Lupin is living with them too. Terrible business that he had to resign. The children all thought he was a wonderful professor. He would have returned next term if that awful Malfoy boy wouldn't have told all of earth and sundry that he is a werewolf. Not like the poor man can help such a tragic condition. He may be a good influence on the poor dear, but still, not what a growing girl needs in a parent."

Loud laughter could be heard from upstairs and Bill decided that it proved to be a great distraction from his mum's dark mood. He stood up and smirked at his brother, who had infuriated mum by pulling his hair out of it's tie at the table, and made his way to the family room while his mother loudly complained about the trials of long hair and how it didn't suit a young man in the least.

"Bill and Charlie should be home by now." Bill heard Ginny's voice just as he saw their feet hit the top stair landing. "You'll love them. They're a riot!"

"It must be so interesting to be a Curse-Breaker." Another girl said in a fascinated tone. "Imagine all the spells you have to learn."

"Yeah," A softer voice said. "But imagine all the things that could go wrong. It can't be an easy job."

"Sounds like your line of work, Mary." Ginny laughed loudly. "Danger and adventure that you'd actually get paid for. Although, even I have to admit the dragons in Romania are really awesome."

"I think I've seen enough dragons for one lifetime." The first girl said haughtily.

"Norbert wasn't so bad." The quiet girl defended whoever 'Norbert' was. "He was just a scared baby."

"Bill!" Ginny shrieked and dove into his arms the second she saw him. "I've missed you."

"You too, Gin." He laughed and hugged her tightly then set her back on her feet.

She jumped back and pulled her friends forward. "Bill, I'd like you to meet Hermione and Mary."

"Hermione Granger." The bushy haired girl blushed and held out her hand which he shook lightly. "It's lovely to meet you."

"And you." Bill wanted to laugh at her overly proper greeting.

The second girl stood back and waited for her friend to move away then looked up at Bill with bright green eyes.

"How are you, Mary?" Bill asked in half amusement half curiosity as they walked through the family room. "Enjoying the holidays?"

"You have no idea." She replied in mock seriousness, shaking his hand. "Good to meet ya,  _Mr. Weasley_."

He knew from his parent's letters that this was the girl who had saved Ginny's life just over a year ago and that the year before Ron had helped her destroy an object a dark wizard wanted.

He looked at his younger siblings' friends and realized the two couldn't be more opposite if they tried. One was very straight forward and proper, where the other was more reserved and casual, but both were kind and seemed to be very close with his family, so that was enough for him.

"Did you have a good year?" Bill asked the three girls, but both Ginny and Hermione gave Mary a pointed look.

"It was  _interesting._ " Mary replied quietly and shrugged. "Better than the two years before, I guess."

The girls followed him into the kitchen where his mum stood beside Charlie, with one hand on her hip and another holding a lock of his red hair. "You and Bill with your long hair. I don't understand the point considering the amount of upkeep it takes."

She looked up and smiled at the girls then narrowed her eyes to the point that Bill stepped away, thinking that they had done something to earn his mother's ire. It was the same look she had in her eyes when the twins made the second floor loo explode. That was never a situation he wanted to be in the middle of.

"Mary!" Mum's eyes widened and walked toward the confused girl and grabbed her hands. "What on earth happened to you? Please don't tell me you've gone and had another Quidditch accident, or was it something in that dreadful house of Black's?"

"Leave her alone, mum." Ron said defensively as he walked into the room and pulled her out of their mother's grasp. "She doesn't need to cover her scars here."

"It's okay." The dark haired girl smiled, tugging at the hem of her t-shirt like she wished it would swallow her whole, then looked back at mum apologetically. "I forgot to bring a long sleeve shirt. I can borrow one of Ginny's, if she won't mind."

"Oh, dear," Mum rubbed her hands together nervously. "That's not what I meant. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. You should feel comfortable when you're here. Every time I see you there are  _more_  and  _more_  scars. I just wish you wouldn't get hurt so often."

"You and me both." Mary laughed and hugged mum tightly. "I'm okay, really."

Bill had tried not to stare earlier, but it was hard to miss the deep gouges that wrapped around one of the dark haired girl's arms along with what looked like a Muggle gun shot wound. The other arm bore various scars that were slightly raised and lighter in color than the others. Her legs were in slightly better shape, but even Bill knew that what ever caused the injuries must've been painful. That wasn't even mentioning the lightning bolt scar that she was famous for.

"You must be Charlie." Hermione interjected and held her hand out to his brother who was looking at Mary with narrowed eyes. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Good to meet you." Charlie forced his gaze away and smiled, standing up to shake her hand.

Ginny pushed Mary forward, knocking the taller girl's knees into the chair in front of her. "Sorry, Mary. This is Charlie."

Mary regained her balance and shot Ginny a rueful glance.

She held out a hand and Bill could see Charlie's eyes avert from the scars and smile tightly while shaking her hand. Bill knew that Charlie was thinking the same thing that he was. The girl was living with a known werewolf and had the bite marks to prove it.

"I've heard a lot about you, Mary." Charlie said kindly.

"Nothing good, I hope." Mary whispered, casting a look to where mum was making a batch of biscuits. "How's Norbert?"

"She's adjusting." Charlie smiled and Bill could see the light in his eyes as he spoke of whoever 'she' was. "We call her Norberta now, considering she's a girl."

"I'll have to write Hagrid and let him know!" Mary said happily. "No wonder the poor thing was so irritable."

"Don't you remember?" Ron sat down next to Mary and picked up a sandwich. "I told you it was Mary's idea to write you about that blasted dragon."

"I remember." Charlie pushed his plate away and crossed his arms on the table and leaned his head toward her. "My co-workers were thrilled when I told them that there was a Norwegian Ridgeback that needed picked up. My boss was ecstatic. I got a promotion after that. Rare breed of dragons Ridgebacks are."

Mary handed Ron a napkin and looked back at Charlie. "Hell, if I'd had known McGonagall would take one hundred and fifty points on top of detention in the Forbidden Forest, I would have left for Romania alongside Norberta. Would have even shared her little crate."

"What did you do to earn that harsh of a punishment?" Bill asked curiously.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Hagrid was keeping the dragon  _illegally_  and we worried that he would get in trouble – or even sacked – for keeping it on the grounds, so Mary suggested that Ron write Charlie and see if the Reserve would take Norbert. We were caught by Professor McGonagall on our way down from the Astronomy tower after the dragon handlers left with it. We received detention in the Forest with Hagrid as the second part of our punishment for being out of bed after hours."

"I don't wanna hear about the Forbidden Forest while eating." Ron grimaced and put down his sandwich. "Bloody spiders."

"Acromantulas." Hermione corrected him. "And it's your own faults for going out there. You know Hagrid doesn't realize how dangerous they are to us smaller people."

"Your own fault for looking at that ruddy snake." Ron grumbled.

"I feel like I'm missing something." Charlie looked between them in confusion.

"It's a very long story." Mary shook her head and rubbed the scars on her arm.

"Short version is," Ron said, suddenly excited, "Mary and I encountered the great honking spiders out in the forest and they tried to kill us. I mean really really wanted to kill us. Then after we escape from thousands of the blasted things, we find out that it's a great honking  _snake_  that we should have been worried about all along."

"Basilisk." Hermione shook her head at Ron's massive understatement. "In the pipes of the school."

"You were the only one smart enough to figure that part out." Mary complimented her friend who blushed.

"Mary here killed it with the sword of Gryffindor." Ron smiled proudly at his friend. "Saved Ginny and probably everyone else at the school."

Mary rubbed the crook of her arm and sighed. "It sounds easier than it was."

"I'm still sorry I freaked out and left you there." Ginny whispered, so quietly that Bill had to subtly lean forward to hear her and saw Charlie doing the same. "I was just so scared. I really did check on you, but it looked like you were dead."

"No worries, Gin." Mary smiled at her. "Between Fawkes and Healer Tonks I came out alright."

"Fawkes?" Charlie startled the girls and they both looked up at him in surprise as though they forgot that they had an audience. "Dumbledore's Phoenix?"

"He cried on the Basilisk bite and brought her out of the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione said quietly. "She was in St. Mungo's for over a month."

"Best nap I ever had." Mary laughed lightly, but Bill could see that she was just trying to console Ginny who looked like she was about to cry while she looked at the large round scar on the crook of Mary's arm.

"That was your first year?" Bill asked in awe. "Hogwarts seems more interesting since I left."

"Nah," Ron belched loudly into his hand. "First year was with the Mountain Troll and Mary's broom being cursed by Quirrell. Then Fluffy."

"A Cerberus." Hermione clarified and huffed loudly. "One of Hagrid's other pets."

"Then Norberta hatched." Mary smiled widely looking deep in thought.

"Bloody dragon." Ron rubbed his hand. "That bite hurt. Made my hand look like a bleeding green balloon."

"Ridgeback hatchlings are well known for their tempers." Charlie winced in sympathy but was still enthralled with the tale.

"You were lucky you were in the infirmary when we were caught." Mary sighed and shook her head. "McGonagall looked ready to box our ears."

"And you missed out on detention with Malfoy." Hermione said darkly. "I still have nightmares about his high pitched screams when he ran up to Hagrid and I saying that Mary had been killed."

"I can't really blame him for that." Mary chuckled and picked up a chip. "Voldemort..." His brothers and sisters winced at the name, "would have killed me if Firenze hadn't shown up."

"You were attacked by You Know Who?" Bill looked at her in shock.

"Just a shade of him." Mary shrugged. "He wasn't strong enough to off me until we tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone a few weeks later."

"You got him though." Ron patted her hard on the back. "Killing Quirrell was just a bonus."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed reproachfully. "I highly doubt Mary wants to dwell on that. She almost died."

"She almost dies every year!" Ron said vehemently, as though this fact scared him to no end. "Second year You Know Who found her again and she spent months in St. Mungo's! Last year she was Kissed by a bloody Dementor and spent days in the hospital wing! Got gored by a Hippogriff! Skewered herself on her own broom thanks to the bloody Dementors! And then..."

"Stop." Mary's growl stopped Ron mid rant and he looked at her apologetically.

She put a hand on his arm and smiled. "I'm okay."

"Here we are, children." Mum put a pitcher of lemonade and plate of biscuits on the table, killing the conversation completely. "You can take them outside to snack on."

They all got the hint that they were no longer welcome in the kitchen. Mary picked up the platter and walked alongside Ginny while the rest followed out into the yard like then intense conversation and story had never even happened.

Fred and George were already swimming – and throwing water balloons at each other - when the others walked over to the edge of the pond.

Hermione sat down on the edge, book in hand, and stuck her feet in the water. Ron jumped straight in and swam towards the twins. Ginny took a running start and cannon-balled into the deep end, splashing the others as she landed. Mary climbed the old oak tree until she was completely obscured from view.

"What is she doing?" Charlie lit a cigarette as he conjured a chair and sat down beside Bill with a smokey sigh.

"No idea." He shrugged as he watched his siblings play. "What do you think about their adventures?"

"Honestly?" Charlie had a contemplative look on his face. "None of them seem the type to exaggerate, more like they were  _trying_  to be vague, so part of me wishes that I was still there to be part of it. The other part is wondering where the fuck the Professors were during all of that."

"Did you see the scars on her arm?" He added in a dark undertone. "Kind of funny how that part wasn't mentioned."

"They're not exactly hard to miss." Bill said sarcastically. "Mum wouldn't have been so shocked if they were old scars, must be something new."

"I'd be worried if I hadn't seen that silver band on her arm." Charlie admitted. "She's clearly not a werewolf."

The others were all having a great time, but suddenly they seemed to realize that their friend was missing and looked around in confusion.

"Have you seen Mary?" Ron asked Hermione as he and the others swam toward the edge.

"No." Hermione looked around worriedly.

A loud whoosh sounded from the trees and both Bill and Charlie stood as Mary jumped from the highest branch and into the water some thirty feet below, shocking the twins so much that both of them had their mouth's gaping open when she landed and both were doused in a wave of water.

She surfaced a moment later – laughing loudly at their shocked faces - and splashed Ron, who dove into the water after her. Mary yelped, dove into the water and disappeared for the next few minutes.

Ron and Ginny were on each of the twin's shoulders and were trying to wrestle each other off and Hermione seemed totally engrossed in her book.

Bill watched as the top of a dark head poked out of the water a few feet in front of Hermione. "This will not end well."

Slowly Mary walked onto the shore, covered in mud and eel grass, with her wet hair covering her face like a wet blanket. Hermione looked up from her reading and shrieked as she clutched the book behind her back. Mary waved her hand and the book went flying through the air and landed softly on the porch.

"Nice." Bill whistled in appreciation. "Wandless and non-verbal."

Hermione backed away and then took off running around the edge of the pond, drawing the attention of the other four who looked at Mary and laughed.

"I just want a hug, 'Mione!" She yelled at her friend then turned to look at Charlie. "Any chance I can get a lift across this pond?"

Charlie waved his wand casually and Mary lifted into the air, floating from one edge to the other. Mary took off across it like a shot while Hermione yelped and started running again. The bossy girl was no match for her friend's speed. Mary caught up to Hermione and lifted a muddy finger and put a tiny smear on her cheek, then took off running as the girl grimaced and wiped off the mud with her hand with a disgusted expression.

"She doesn't act like a celebrity." Charlie put out his cigarette and plucked a blade of grass from the ground to chew on the end. "Too quiet."

"Ron and Ginny picked a good friend." Bill voiced his honest opinion. "I think even mum may be wanting to kidnap her and make her a Weasley."

Charlie laughed as Fred dumped a clump of mud onto Mary's head. "The twins already have."

Bill saw Mary reach up and grab the mud off her head and took two fingers and drew muddy lines across her cheeks as she pointed at the worried looking twins.

"WAR!" Mary's voice carried throughout the field and Bill was impressed to believe that the sound came from such a tiny girl.

An all out water fight started and Bill and Charlie resigned themselves to sitting back and watching up until clumps of mud flew in their direction and hit them both square in the face. They both stood up at the same time as the five kids jumped out of the pond and ran to the shed yelling and whooping in glee.

The two summoned their brooms and laughed as both Ron and George had to release the uncontrollable broomsticks that were pulling them towards Bill and Charlie.

Hermione walked up to them with her hands up in a sign of surrender. "I had nothing to do with this and I don't like brooms."

"Then grab a chair and be ready to duck for cover." Charlie told her as he mounted his broom.

"DINNER!" Mum yelled out the kitchen window, gathering everyone's attention.

"Or not." Charlie hopped back off the broom and sent it back to the shed with a wave of his wand.

The twins had Ginny slung over their shoulders and carried her up to the porch. Hermione shook her head and walked next to Ron who was plucking grass out of his hair. Mary had her broom slung over her shoulder and carried it into the house where mum immediately attacked her with cleaning spells.

"Are you sure you can't stay, dear?" Mum said hopefully as she hugged the girl. "I've made plenty."

"I promised Dobby and Kreacher I'd help with dinner." Mary explained apologetically. "Thank you for having me over."

"You're welcome anytime, sweetheart." Mum hugged her again.

"Oh," Mary stopped with her hand in the pot of Floo powder. "Sirius asked if you'd mind lending the twins for clean up duty this evening."

"They'll be over straight after dinner." Mum replied in a relieved tone, like she was glad that the two were doing something helpful and productive. "What room are they working on now?"

"The upper bedrooms," Mary grimaced and shook her head. "Doxies have infested the curtains and Remus is allergic to something in the Doxicide, so he's no help."

"I'll be sure to send a couple bottles of my special formula. It's never failed to get rid of them completely." Mum told her and patted her hand. "If you need more, just send word with one of the boys."

"Weasleys, Hermione." Mary waved as she stepped into the Floo and vanished in a pillar of green flames.

"So you two are cleaning houses now?" Bill asked the twins, expecting them to be horrified at the prospect, but to his surprise they looked excited.

"Great old House of Black." George smiled lovingly as he piled potatoes onto his plate and his brother's.

Fred grinned brightly and poured the gravy. "So many creatures to find. So many objects to be studied."

"Although I thought Padfoot would flip his gourd when Mary cut herself in the library." George winced at the memory.

"Was it from that awful cursed tray that collects blood?" Ginny whispered horrified as she put her fork down then looked up at Bill with wide eyes. "Those books are spelled to fall and trap your hands on the blade."

"Mary dearest," George shook his head. "Poor thing thought that removing the books and setting the shelf on fire would get rid of the cursed blade."

"But the blade fought back." Fred grimaced and put his head down. "Chopped up those poor spindly arms of hers. Collected lots of Potter blood that night."

"Poor old Padfoot." George shrugged.

Fred closed his eyes. "He passed out at the sight of that much blood."

"Mary was bleeding all over the place and trying to wake him up."

"Padfoot kept waking up and passing out."

"Poor old girl had to call us in to help."

"Although we couldn't do much more than call Moony."

"And he was so distraught that he had us call St. Mungo's."

"Well, after he got the blade to stop attacking Mary."

"Maybe you could help us out, Bill." Fred looked thrilled and tossed a roll to Ron.

George leaned forward like he was presenting a business deal. "So many cursed objects you'll never get bored."

"Pays good." Fred supplied and polished the gravy off his plate with a roll.

George made sure Mum and Hermione were out of hearing range and smiled at him and Charlie. "Free drinks too."

His curiosity was eating at him and he could see that Charlie was in the same boat. If anything, he wanted to see if this house was as interesting as his brothers claimed, but Bill highly doubted Black would appreciate just anybody showing up at his home and voiced this thought to the twins.

George jumped up without another word, went to the fireplace and threw a pinch of powder in. "Hey, Dobby. Can you get Mary for me?"

A moment later, Mary's head popped into view in the flames while she coughed and sputtered. "Yuck! I think I accidentally just licked the grate."

"Sounds tasty." George laughed. "Think Padfoot and Moony would mind Bill and Charlie's help?"

"Are you sure you want to subject your brothers to this brand of madness?" Mary asked in a serious tone.

"Of course!" George nodded reassuringly.

"Then bring them on over." Mary smiled and disappeared once again.

An hour later, when dinner was finished and everyone had completed their chores, Bill and his brothers Floo'ed over to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, glad to be far away from Percy and his rants over cauldron bottoms.

A tall dark haired man looked up from his place on the couch, looking far healthier than the bedraggled man he had seen in the papers, and stood as they emerged from the large fireplace.

"Sirius," Fred said quickly in a mischievous tone. "We've brought Bill and Charlie to check out the dining room."

"Thought that they'd like to see all our hard work." George added in the same tone.

"Good to have you." Black shook their hands then turned to the twins. "Watch your ears on the way out. Mary and the elves are cleaning the kitchen and making a hell of a lot of noise with that damned Muggle radio."

George's smile beamed as he turned to Bill and Charlie. "You've got to see this."

"It never fails to entertain." Fred finished in an awed tone.

They followed the twins through the large, brightly lit house and down the stairs. It wasn't dark or dreary like he had expected. Instead it looked as though everything had been repainted or renovated completely. It was a massive posh house, but it held a very comfortable quality in it.

"They're not joking." Sirius laughed as they passed a set of wards and the sound of loud music assaulted their ears. "I'm amazed that she has eardrums left. But I have to admit that Muggle music is far better than anything I've heard in the Wizarding World."

Fred opened the door to the kitchen, stopped dead in his tracks, and they all crowded in the doorway to look in. Sirius's shoulder's shook violently at the sight in front of them.

" _Woop there it is!_ " Mary shouted and pointed at a wide eyed house elf while vigorously scrubbing the cabinet doors.

A much older elf shook his head in exasperation, but his foot still tapped in time to the music while he dropped another rasher of bacon into the hot pan.

" _Woop there it is!_ " The first elf sang and vanished a pile of dust with a snap of his fingers as he threw a soapy washcloth to her.

She caught it without turning around and continued scrubbing.

"Miss Mary there is a Doxy in your hair!" The first elf yelled over the music and jumped onto the table and crept toward her.

"What?!" Mary whispered and raised a shaky hand to her hair. "Where?"

"I'll get it, Mistress." The old elf croaked as he too stalked toward a shuddering Mary.

"It's just a Doxy." The young elf tried to calm her down when he saw her starting to panic.

At the sight of the two approaching elves, said Doxy decided to take refuge down the neck of Mary's shirt. Wide eyed, she yelped and reached up the back of her shirt to get it out. She screamed and flailed around as it's tiny nails scraped across her back. Her hand accidentally hit the handle of the pan of bacon that was still sizzling on the stove, sending the grease flying into the air and straight onto the floor beneath her.

Mary's greasy boots slipped and slid across the highly polished wood floor as she danced around in horror while trying to reach the offending little creature that was still crawling around inside her shirt.

Her feet skidded out from under her and she landed hard on her backside while her feet slid into the roaring fireplace. She scrambled backwards like she was doing a backstroke, but it was too late. The grease on the soles of her boots ignited, the fire glowing a bright orange, and she yelped as she jumped up and down, dancing around, trying to stomp it out. The house elves stared in stunned silence while their Mistress hopped up and shrieked, feet still flaming, running in place as she searched the cabinets.

She pulled a bag of flour down and promptly threw it at her feet, creating a cloud of white powder that covered everything in sight. The flames vanished and Mary shuddered as the stunned Doxy fell to the floor and scrambled away looking dizzy and drunk.

"You got it, Mistress." The old elf said approvingly then snapped his fingers to vanish the flour and grease.

The music died and Mary looked up to see Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and Sirius standing in the doorway to the kitchen all watching her in stunned silence.

Sirius couldn't contain it any longer. He burst out into loud cackling laughter and Mary ground her teeth as she stepped toward the doorway and waited for them to move. Her shoes were still smoking and smelt like leathery old bacon and her face burned in mortification while her cheeks twitched in an effort to contain her own giggles.

"We will never speak of this." She took a deep breath and then sneezed loudly.

Sirius slid down the door frame laughing loudly. "That poor Doxy! I'll be re-watching that in the Pensieve later. Wait till I show Moony!"

"And I can show him the memory of you doing tricks while sporting pink fur and little bows on your ears." Mary smiled innocently and vanished her shoes and the smoke with a wave of her wand, making Bill wince at the thought of what the ministry would do to her for that.

Sirius gasped loudly at the threat. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what?" A tall sandy haired man, face covered in light scars walked up and smiled kindly. "Are you torturing him again, Mary Jane?"

Mary grimaced and looked up at him with a pitiful frown. "He was laughing about me falling into the Floo."

"Are you okay?" The man grasped her shoulder's and checked her over then turned to Sirius with intense golden eyes. "Why would you laugh about that?"

"That was dirty, Mary." Sirius growled playfully. "But I called it first and I've got a memory that Moony needs to view."

"Oh!" Mary cut her godfather off and looked at Bill and Charlie apologetically. "I'm so sorry! Remus, Bill and Charlie Weasley. Here to endure our madness."

Remus looked up at them and shook his head with wide eyes. "Run while you can."

"We're going to show them the creative development room." George patted Remus on the back.

Fred put an arm around Charlie and dragged him to a doorway. "Mum has no clue about this, so we're trusting you two to keep it quiet."

"Not even Ron and Ginny know." Mary whispered quietly, as though she didn't like keeping secrets from them.

The formal dining room was nothing like he expected, for there were no cursed objects or Doxy infested curtains. Boxes lined the freshly painted walls and the highly polished fancy table was covered in parchment and blueprints. A long section along the back wall held a marble top serving station that had been turned into a brewing area.

Fred and George sat down at separate places at the table and spent the next hour showing off various inventions and spells that they had created for their future joke shop. Mary added that as long as they graduated with three NEWTS each, Sirius would gladly front them the money to start up their business, having taken a liking to the twins and their pranking ways.

Loud laughter erupted from the hallway and Bill turned to see Remus walking in trying to keep a straight face as he followed Sirius – who was rubbing mirthful tears out of his eyes - into the room holding a massive Muggle cooler.

"Butterbeer for the kids." Sirius opened the lid. "And a nicely aged Firewhiskey for us older folk."

Bill still couldn't remember what happened after that part. He had a faint idea that they had been going through the library, but the Firewhiskey was making the details just a little hazy.

From what he remembered, Mary sat at the far end of the long wooden table holding an ice pack to her head while Sirius waved his wand at her.

"You okay, Mary?" Fred asked worriedly as he and George walked toward the two.

"Cursed candlestick joomped out and brained mae on mae poor wee noggin." She said in a heavy Scottish brogue. "Mangy ol' cur cannae be arsed to remove the spell."

"I told you I didn't know the counter-curse." Black said indignantly. "And I take offense to the mangy old cur comment."

Bill poked the dark brass candlestick with his wand and cast a revealing spell to see what he could do to help. The counter was simple enough and he wondered if Black was making Mary suffer through the accent just for the fun of it. By the sparkling look in the older man's eyes, it was clearly his intent.

He couldn't recall anything after that, only knowing that he had woken up sprawled out on top of the table, while Charlie was on the floor, hugging the chair legs and snoring loudly. It was there and then that he realized that neither his brothers or Mary had exaggerated about the insanity that occurred in that place. It made him almost grateful that his life was so quiet in comparison.

 **·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	17. The Prophecy

**July 29th, 1994**

"Come to the kitchen, kiddo." Sirius sighed, pulling Mary's focus away from her summer essay on Cheering Charms. "We need to talk."

Even if his tone hadn't clued her in to the ominousness of the situation, then Remus' distraught and pained glances would have told her that she wasn't going to like what she heard. Sirius looked ragged, his eyes had dark circles under them and his hair hung limply around his pale face.

"What's going on?" Mary stopped at the table looking from one godfather to the other with her heart pounding as she waited to hear the worst news. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Remus answered quickly, cutting a sharp look at Sirius that Mary didn't miss. "There are just a few issues that we need to address. But before we get into that, we need you to swear here and now that what we say stays a secret. It's imperative that you not tell anyone else what we speak about today."

"I can't agree to that unless I know what this is about." Mary told them firmly. "I love you both, and trust you with my life, but I can't agree to keep a secret that could cost me even more."

Sirius leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of himself so tightly that she could see the white in his knuckles. "Have you ever wondered why Voldemort has a twisted fascination with you? Why you were targeted more than anyone else? Why you bear that scar and are the only one that has ever survived the Killing Curse?"

"Sirius!" Remus hissed angrily. "We were supposed to ease into it!"

Mary breathed a sigh of relief and stood up with a laugh. "You two have nothing to worry about. I already know that it's him or me. I also know that he's not quite dead yet. Like me, he's just too stubborn to die."

The need to sit back down and tell them everything burned through her like an unquenchable fire. It was consuming all of her will-power, that aching need to have someone who would have her back and help her through the trials that she would have to face. She wanted to relieve herself of the burden and go about having a normal life for as long as she could.

 _I can't._  She swallowed down the urge like the worst medicine.  _It'd only put them in more danger._

"But there's a prophecy!" Sirius ground out, looking as though he was at the end of his rope. "Two actually."

"Don't." Mary hissed, walking around the table, eyes blazing as she stared up at him. "Don't tell me what it says. I really don't want to know."

"You have to know!" Sirius argued, grasping her shoulders. "How else will you prepare?"

_How prepared do you have to be to die?_

"He's going to come back." Mary stood her ground. "But I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him. I don't need to know anymore. What do you want me to say? That I'll stand idly by and let others die to protect me. I've been dealing with Voldemort since I was a first year and I'm not about to let him start dictating the way I live my life. I'll kill him or die trying."

"Stop." Remus put his arms around her and pulled her into a strong hug. "You're not going to get anywhere near him whether he comes back or not. I won't let you."

"You can't stop Fate, Moony." Mary whispered, flashes of his pale lifeless body lying in the Great Hall with the rest of the dead flashing before her eyes. "No matter how much you want to."

"Read this." Sirius pushed a piece of parchment toward her, revealing two thin paragraphs written in loopy handwriting that looked vaguely familiar.

Thinking that they had finally put Grimmauld Place under the Fidelius Charm and Sirius wanted her in on the secret, Mary pulled it to her. The words seemed to bore in her mind, burning into her mind and she couldn't have forced herself to look away if she tried. The prophecies had not changed, which was an immense relief, but still seeing the words in front of her came as a shock. With shaky nerves she flicked her wrist and called her wand to her hand, setting the parchment alight with a single spell, then banishing the ashes with another.

Sirius stepped forward and grasped her hands. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. You may not want to know, but I can't let you walk around not realizing the danger you could be in. As such, we'll be moving to Grimmauld Place until we can be sure that the danger is gone."

Mary looked around the small flat with a pained expression. "But this is our home."

"We'll come back." Remus assured her. "There's just too much traffic in the Alley. No matter what protections we put on this place, there is still a chance someone will see us come in or out. It's best if we stay somewhere more secluded."

Sirius grimaced. "Dobby will be taking our things there later today."

"So soon?" She asked with a narrowed eyes. "Why now? There's been no sign of Voldemort for over two years."

Remus put a warm hand on her arm. "That's what Dumbledore is worried about. It's been so quiet recently that we believe he is up to something."

 _Wormtail is still in Azkaban._  Mary tried to align the changes she made that should have changed the future.  _But Barty Jr. is out and in hiding._

There was nothing she could do to stop the escaped Death Eater, but she full well could take out as many Horcruxes as she could get her hands on before he found and tried to revive Voldemort. All she needed was to study her journals and figure out exactly where the Resurrection Stone was, then she'd be one step closer in destroying the Horcrux in it.

"Mary?" Remus knelt down in front of her, grasping her hands and prying them off the chairs arms. "You okay?"

The arm of the oak chair had curved marks etched into the wood where her nails had dug into the grain. Her nails were broken and bloody where splinters had imbedded under the soft flesh. A small gasp left her lips as the sharp bite of pain finally registered in her mind, shaking her from her daze.

"I screwed up by leaving the Blood Wards at the Dursleys', didn't I?" Mary looked down and the bright red drops that were splattered on the pristine floor. "I would have been out of the way and well hidden. You both would have been safer. I was selfish and wrong to leave there."

"No." Remus grasped the sides of her face in a gentle grasp and forced her to focus on him. "You were not safe or cared for there. And if I hear you talk like that again, you'll be grounded for the summer."

"But..." Mary tried to argue, but the sandy haired man shook his head, his amber eyes blazing.

"We'll take your wands and you'll be forced to spend the summer cleaning and doing your chores like a Muggle." Sirius threatened with a huff.

Mary balked at his stance. "Why the hell would that bother me? Actually, all you'd have to do is lock me in my room and it'd be like being back at the Dursleys."

Remus sighed in resignation. "We're not taking anything from you, Mary Jane. All we want is for you to be safe and happy. You'll be more than welcome to visit your friends and let them visit. We can come back here by Floo or Portkey anytime you need a break."

"Promise?" Mary looked from one guardian to the other. "I can even use the Floo?"

"Whenever you want." Sirius replied quickly. "If you're going to visit a friend all we ask is that you leave us a note or tell us before you go."

The two were constantly leaving the house for hours at a time while on different missions for Dumbledore. Not to mention that they would be gone overnight during Moony's monthly time. Having access to both the Floo and Knight Bus would help her immensely in tracking down the Stone, while not being in the Alley would be an added security that she wasn't being watched by either side.

"Okay." Mary shrugged quickly. "I'm in."

"That's our girl." Sirius patted her on the back. "Knew you'd listen to reason."

Mary smiled tightly and stood up. "I'm just going to go pack."

"Here." Remus pressed a small bronze medallion into her hand. "It's a Portkey to your room in Grimmauld Place. If there's ever an emergency just say; "Crazy House" and it will take you straight there."

"Will it take me to the crazy house or just my room?" She asked quickly, quirking her brow at them.

Sirius laughed loudly, the stress lines on his face breaking as his smile pulled them away. "It's one in the same, pup."

Remus shook his head in exasperation and sighed. "Keep it on you at all times."

Mary quickly hugged them both. "I'll attach it to the inside of my wand holster so I never forget it."

As she walked back to her room, a plan had already starting forming in her mind. Sirius had the full legal right to the Black Family Vaults and while Bellatrix was technically a LeStrange, her personal vault was well in Sirius' grasp. Figuring out how to get him to give her access to the Vault would be something that she'd have to think about, but it wasn't going to be as difficult for her to steal that Horcrux as it was for Harry. It was the Resurrection Stone and Nagini that posed to be the most challenging Horcruxes, but she was sure that she could get at least one of them destroyed before the end of summer.

Looking at the map of the UK that was pinned to the wall above her desk, she pushed a bright red pin into the spot that pointed out Little Hangleton. Voldemort was there, more than likely with help, biding his time until he could be resurrected into a new body. There was no way that she could stop his resurrection, but she could make his supposed immortality a lot shorter.

Like Harry, she'd spent the past few years striving and fighting to keep the Dark Lord from regaining his power over the Wizarding World. She'd almost died the night she faced Quirrelmort. She'd almost died going against the basilisk and sixteen year old Tom Riddle. But she swore then and there that she would not die until Voldemort was mortal once again. While the thought of dying seemed morbid to most, she knew that the sacrifice would be easier for her if she knew that her friends and family would be safe.

They were what mattered most to her.

Already Mary could see the way that the changes she made were affecting the future. Sirius was safe and free. Buckbeak was alive and happy with Hagrid. Wormtail was in Azkaban alongside Umbridge. Fudge had been disgraced and banned from the country. But it wasn't safe enough yet.

It was in those times of peace and seeming tranquility that she would sit on her bed and practice her Occlumency. It was a skill that had helped her immensely since she 'd been bitten by Moony. The calming techniques had helped her channel the sudden bursts of rage and aggression that threatened to creep up when she felt intimidated or irritated. It was also a skill she would to perfect when she met Voldemort head on. Not to mention the fact that the thought of either Snape or Dumbledore catching a glimpse of what she knew freaked her out. They'd probably Obliviate her.

So Mary spent the next few weeks secluded in Grimmauld Place, secretly planning and scheming the best way to take out Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And while planning it all out was simple, actually finding the time to do more research was proving to be far more taxing than she liked.

"Mary Jane?" Remus knocked, then opened her door. "Sirius is waiting for you."

Mary looked at her watch and winced at the time. It was almost nine thirty in the morning and her godfather had expected her on the dueling platform at nine. She quickly opened her desk drawer and placed her newly made portkey - fashioned to be a replica of the one Sirius had made - inside and locked the drawer.

"Oops." She grimaced, pulling on her dueling robes. "Got lost while reading."

"Happens to the best of us." Remus laughed, patting her shoulder. "Don't let Padfoot give you too much grief, he overslept and just made it outside ten minutes ago."

"Thanks, Moony!" Mary yelled back as she scrambled down the stairs.

Like every other morning since she'd moved into the Black family home, Sirius was waiting for her out in what used to be a small fenced yard covered in dead overgrown shrubbery and weeds, was now a beautiful haven. Thick plush hedges surrounded the fence- line - thanks to Neville – concrete paving stones led up to a highly polished wooden platform that was spelled with every safety and containment spell that Sirius and Remus could think of.

"You slept in." Mary stated, alerting Sirius to her presence. "I was up hours ago."

Sirius balked and flicked his wrist, calling his wand into his hand. "You were not."

"Was too." Mary argued lightly. "When you didn't show I figured I'd get started on next years textbooks."

Her godfather coughed loudly and shuddered at her admission. "Enough of that. I haven't had tea yet and you're talking about schoolwork."

" _Expelliarmus_." Mary cast quickly, only to see that her spell bounced off Sirius' shield.

Sirius backed away and sent a bright red spell toward her that she quickly dodged by diving to the ground and sending a leg-locker at him. He tripped but countered the spell and responded with a full body bind that she shielded herself from just in the nick of time.

" _Incarcerous_." Sirius hissed, his wand held high over his head.

Mary dropped to the ground, letting the spell soar over her head and cast both a stunning charm and binding hex in quick succession.

Moony laughed from the doorway and clapped as Mary leaned over Sirius' still form. "I'm starved. What's for breakfast?"

"My ego." Sirius shook his head and shuddered when Mary released the spells and pulled him to his feet. "Neat trick, kid."

* * *

**July 31st 1994**

Mary woke from an odd dream that she couldn't remember, groaning when she rolled over only to get a face-full of bright sunlight. She knew that she had closed the curtains he night before, but somehow they had been pulled back while she slept. With a groan of pure misery she pulled the covers off and stood, eyes still tightly closed.

She found the dresser in record time and dug through the pile of socks until her hands came into contact with the small vial. She pulled the stopper and quickly emptied the contents into her mouth and swallowed. A puff of steam escaped her nose and ears as the Pepper Up potion went into effect, quickly waking her from her stupor.

The late nights and constant doses of Pepper Up were taking their toll and she knew it, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She'd spent most of the night combing through the Black Family library looking for a way to get around the wards that she might encounter at the Gaunt shack, but so far all she'd accomplished was learning a few Dark and extremely dangerous spells.

Mary quickly showered and dressed and made her way downstairs to where the kitchen was still dark and cool and set into her work. Half an hour later she had a large breakfast ready and piping hot, when Sirius and Remus emerged from their bedrooms.

"Mary!" Sirius looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing up?"

"Making breakfast." She replied with a raised brow. "Dobby and Kreacher aren't up yet."

"But it's your birthday." Remus intoned quietly.

"It's just another day." Mary shrugged, wondering what she had done wrong to make them look at her like she was some kind of freak.

Remus stepped forward and took the pan of bangers from her hand. "Go sit down and eat. It's your birthday and we wanted to spoil you."

Mary chuckled at the look on their faces. "Seriously?"

Remus smacked his forehead. "You really didn't just say that, did you?"

"Of course she did." Sirius smirked widely. "Birthdays are Sirius business."

"I retract my statement." Mary deadpanned at her godfather's horrible pun.

"You both suck." Sirius moped.

Sirius and Remus had both taken long drags of their tea when Mary responded. "I've just turned fourteen. I don't suck at all."

Tea sprayed from both of the elder Marauder's mouths as Mary smirked and finished her breakfast.

Silence enveloped them as they finished the meal. Mary made a point to chuckle every time Sirius took a bite, making him twitch each time. Remus looked from one to the other, probably wondering what Mary had planned.

"I'll get the dishes." Mary stood and gathered the plates.

Halfway to the sink the Floo erupted in green flames. A tall thin figure emerged, revealing Professor McGonagall in her tartan green robes.

"Minnie!" Sirius erupted gleefully. "I knew you couldn't go another day without seeing me!"

McGonagall pursed her lips and put her chin in the air. "Shut it, Black. I'm here to take Mary shopping for her school supplies."

Sirius turned to Mary and stuck his tongue out teasingly. "Shopping."

"I'll get you a pretty pink bow, Snuggly." Mary patted his shoulder as she pulled her cloak from the back of her chair. "I know how much you love them"

Remus chuckled into his hand and Mary smirked at him. "I'll get you one too, Moony."

"Have fun, kiddo." Sirius waved from his chair.

She waved back while she threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and let the whoosh of green flames surround her. "Diagon Alley!"

As stern as McGonagall was when they were at Hogwarts, the older witch was actually quite calm and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of shopping in the small magical town. While Mary was very wealthy and had more than enough to buy her items at full price, McGonagall quickly taught her that the shopkeepers were more than happy to sell items in bulk at a far cheaper price. This was demonstrated as they walked though the aisles of Slug & Jiggers.

"Get double the amount on your list." McGonagall advised her quietly. "You'll get a decent discount and the ingredients will last you quite a while."

Taking her professor's advice, Mary did just that, but added ingredients to her basket as she found that the temptation of brewing different things not on the class list was a must have. She needed Healing Potions and a plethora of different helpful brews that weren't on the class list.

McGonagall quirked a brow at her as Mary put two vials of armadillo bile in her basket. "That is not on the list, Mary."

Mary shrugged. "I need to prank Sirius at least once a week or he gets irritable."

"I see." McGonagall replied, her mouth moving as though she was trying to hide a smile. "You might need more Bulbadox Powder to really teach him a lesson."

Shock ran through her as she looked up at her professor. "Do I even want to know?"

McGonagall shook her head. "All I can say is that they picked the wrong professor for their prank. Absolutely no one wanted to see Ogg, the old Groundskeeper, strip down while scratching his sides in the Great Hall. Just the look of shock on their faces gave away their guilt."

"Yikes." Mary winced and shook her head. "Rookie mistakes."

McGonagall peered at her over the rim of her glasses. "I better not hear of any pranks in Gryffindor tower this year."

"Never." Mary smiled innocently.

The elder witch's lips twitched in amusement as she watched Mary pile more ingredients into her basket. They left the Alley hours later, arms heavily laden with bags of clothing and supplies for the upcoming term. McGonagall had once again given Mary her supply list in advance, giving Mary a head-start in her classes. It was something that she was grateful for. Schoolwork was about the only normal part of her life and while it was not always fun, there was always the chance to learn skills that she could use in her tasks.

"Here we are." McGonagall said when they Floo'd back to Grimmauld place a few hours later.

Mary set her shrunken bags down on the kitchen table, looking around for any sign of either godfather, she turned to look at Professor McGonagall who was digging through her tartan handbag.

"They must be upstairs," Mary walked out of the kitchen and down the long hallway. The large house was eerily silent, setting her nerves on edge as she went from room to room, searching for them.

"Dobby?" Mary called out. "Kreacher?"

Neither answered, cluing her in that something was amiss.

"Professor," Mary walked back into the kitchen. "No one's home."

But the kitchen was empty. She hadn't heard the Floo and assumed that the Transfiguration Mistress was going to at least say goodbye before leaving.

A soft pop startled her so bad that she stumbled into a chair, knocking it over. Using the heavy oak table, she pulled herself up and saw the bright red feather and small scroll sitting in the middle of the fruit bowl.

"Fawkes?" Mary picked up the feather and twirled it between her fingers while opening the scroll with her right hand.

Dumbledore's thin loopy writing flowed over the scrap of parchment.

_**You're needed at the Weasley residence as soon as possible. -A.D.** _

The letter fell softly onto the table while Mary quickly pulled a set of dueling robes off the hook and made sure that both her wands and knife were easily accessible. If she needed to fight, she'd be ready. There was no way she could let anything happen to her family. That in mind, she grabbed another handful of Floo powder and dashed back into the fireplace.

Mary stepped out of the Floo wand in hand, ready to hex any enemy in her way.

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices yelled as fireworks exploded in front of her face.

A shake of her head cleared the spots from her vision, revealing the laughing faces of the entire Weasley family – minus Percy – including Bill and Charlie, Sirius, Remus, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, Hermione, Neville, Lavender and Parvati. Healer Tonks stood to the side with her husband Ted and their daughter. They were all standing around the table, laughing at the way her wand and hand dropped to her side as she realized that the only threat was Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid's hugs. A large feast of her favorite dishes covered the long table while a huge cake in the shape of a Golden Snitch floated above the guest. The surrounding surfaces had been cleared and covered with brightly wrapped presents.

Her breath caught in her throat and she had to pinch her leg to stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.

"Hairy Mary," Fred wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Were you really going to hex us for throwing you a party?"

George appeared at her other side. "You shouldn't hex anyone until you open your gifts. It's just bad form otherwise."

Ron pulled her away from his brothers, rolling his eyes as he guided her to the table full of presents. "It's a Weasley family tradition to open gifts before we eat. So get to it."

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley hissed while everyone else laughed loudly.

Mary felt like she'd been put in the spotlight and couldn't help the twinge of self-consciousness as everyone stared at her, waiting for her to open her gifts. While she was touched and thankful that they were kind enough to make her birthday so special, she inwardly longed to be in her little bedroom, talking to Hedwig as she opened her gifts in peace and solitude.

The last of the sellotape broke loose and fell to the ground as Mary sat there holding a box full of brand new cassette tapes, each showing colorful pictures of Muggle music artists. Her smile was so bright that it hurt her cheeks, she'd been begging for a trip into the Muggle world for just this reason, she needed new tunes.

"Here." Mr. Weasley carefully placed a large box on the table in front of her. "Open this one next."

Mary smiled kindly and set the box of tapes on the table and quickly worked on unwrapping the new gift. Her face fell when she saw the brand new boombox sitting there in front of her. Such a nice gift was extremely expensive and she wasn't quite sure if she was willing to accept it.

"Don't you like it, dear?" Mrs. Weasley walked forward, rubbing her hands together nervously. "The Muggle at the store said that it was the newest model."

"It's too much." Mary choked out, hoping that she wasn't offending them. "It's wonderful, but really, it's too nice."

"It's from all of us." Hermione stepped up, hugging Mary quickly.

Mary laughed then tackled the Weasley parents into a hug. "Thank you."

"Oh," Mr Weasley blushed bright red, reminding Mary of Ron. "It was nothing, Mary. It was great fun to play with."

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley admonished her husband, her cheeks flushed. "You shouldn't be tinkering with Muggle things."

Mary leaned closer to Charlie and Bill in confusion. "What am I missing?"

Charlie laughed and crossed his arms smugly. "Dad's charmed it to work just fine around magic. Took him almost a month, but he finally got it."

"Bloody hell." She whispered, her hands holding the side of the box protectively.

Bill chuckled and patted her hard on the back. "Hurry up opening these gifts. That cake isn't going to eat itself."

Mary glanced at the mouthwatering cake and quickly went through each present, taking just enough time to thank those responsible. All through cutting the cake, her attention was split and she felt torn on what to do.

"Go ahead, dear." Mrs. Weasley encouraged her as though she knew what Mary was thinking. "Music would be most welcome."

Mary smiled and pulled the Boombox and collection of tapes out of their boxes and put a tape in. Almost immediately, loud music and a thrumming bass line reverberated throughout the orchard, filling the night with the most glorious sound. Bill and Ginny were dancing, as were many others. Mary felt a pang of bittersweet sadness when she saw Remus and Tonks picking fun of Sirius who'd just been pranked by the twins. Ted and Aunt Andy - as she'd demanded to be called-, sat together with Mr. And Mrs. Weasley sharing bottles of butterbeer, while the rest of her friends and teachers milled about getting more food or talking.

"Would you care to dance?" Mary turned to see Charlie standing behind her holding out his hand.

"I'd love to!" Mary laughed as the song changed into something more upbeat.

For the first real birthday party she'd ever had, she'd say it turned out pretty great.


	18. The Gaunt Snake Shack

**August 6th, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

Even though there had only been an hour of forewarning before Sirius and Remus left for the day, Mary didn't hesitate in gathering what she needed for her next task. While her godfathers were out on a short mission for Dumbledore – only going to be gone overnight – she would travel to Little Hangleton and try to do some research on the Gaunt House.

Knowing that Dobby was tidying up the flat in Diagon Alley and Kreature was out running errands and grocery shopping, Mary knew that the time to act was now. All it took was a few quick charms taught to her by Lavender and Parvati to get her appearance to change drastically. The face staring back at her in the mirror was almost unrecognizable. Thick sandy blond fringe covered her forehead, the rest was pulled up into a neat bun on the base of her neck. Freckles were flecked across her high cheekbones and bright blue eyes stared back at her mockingly.

The true test was when she walked a few streets away from Grimmauld Place and called the Knight Bus. Like a shotgun blast, the monstrosity appeared in front of her, swerving to avoid a lamppost. Stan Shunpike stepped off in a bored manner and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she didn't carry any luggage.

"Where to?" Stan asked gruffly.

"Blackburn." She answered quickly. "I'm visiting my Gran"

"The back." Stan bustled her to the rear of the bus, out of the way of the other staring and visibly annoyed passengers. "Stay here and stay quiet. The fares ten sickles."

Mary smirked and dropped the coins into his outstretched hand. "Thanks."

He walked away shaking his head. "Bloody nutters."

Mary pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Despite the hot and humid mid-summer air, she still felt a deep chill settle within her bones. It wasn't a physical ailment or any other explainable reason that she could think of, only that somehow the Horcrux within herself could sense the impending death of it's counterpart. It was a cold sickly feeling that left her nauseous, clammy, and inexplicably tired.

Leaning her head on the cold glass window, she closed her eyes and retreated into her mind, working on her meditation and Occlumency as the Knight Bus stopped and accelerated once again, trying it's best to make her lose her meager breakfast.

"Blackburn!" Stan poked her shoulder. "Whatchoo doin sleeping? Wasn't even a half hour trip."

"Sorry." Mary pushed passed him and dazedly stepped off the cursed bus.

Her foot had barely left the landing when the bang sounded and the bus disappeared into the unknown.

Thick green grass covered rolling hills and a smattering of fog dotted the morning with a humid but ethereal landscape. According to her research, the Gaunt Shack was two miles south of Little Hangleton and another mile straight east of Blackburn. She'd chosen Blackburn because she didn't want to attract attention to the fact that anyone was traveling from London to a non-magical village like Little Hangleton, where the only known wizards were either long dead or had a track record like Voldemort and his demented family.

With a couple carefully cast spells, she Disillusioned her Nimbus and herself, setting her course just above the road and following it for a few miles. While she got turned around quite a few times, she finally found what was left of the Gaunt family home. To call it a shack was a compliment. While the place had four walls and a roof, there wasn't a place where the wood wasn't rotted and falling apart from years of weather damage and lack of regular maintenance. Holes littered the roof and she finally settled on carefully flying down to the nearest tree to avoid any perimeter spells that might activate if she walked across them.

She carefully set her broom on the branches and laid down on her stomach, holding tightly to the old willow, letting it bow just enough to set her within the worst hole in the roof. She let go of the branch and assessed her surroundings. All was quiet as she knelt down on the floor and ran her hands along the splintered boards, trying to find that overwhelming sense of malevolence that would guide her to the Horcrux.

It was too quiet.

And then she felt it. It was like she'd just stuck her entire arm into a dumpster or down the loo. She felt dirty. The thick aura of Dark Magic was pungent in the air, making her skin crawl and her hair stand on end.

Her hands shook as she pried the loose floorboard out. The small oak box looked completely innocent, covered in dust, but the air of evil hung in the air like a dark cloud. Knowing it couldn't harm her, Mary plucked it from it's dark confines and set it onto the dry dirty floor. Using the tip of her wand, she unlatched the small chest and tilted the lid open. The ring stood out like a beacon in the wandlight, a dark stone that was set in a gold ring laid in a deep velvety green jewelry box. It was calling to her.

She never would have imagined just how strong the pull was for Dumbledore. But all Mary could feel was a deep sense of urgency to see her parents, to see the ones that she had longed for since she was just a small toddler locked in a dark cupboard. It was their voices that echoed through the late afternoon air. It was their faces that hovered just out of sight, beckoning her to put on the ring and see them once more. A sense of peace enveloped her as she lost herself in their memory and thought of how wonderful their reunion would be.

She could already feel their warm arms wrapping around her, holding her close and telling her that they would never leave her and never let her go. They would be a family again. She would be safe and happy, never having to face the harshness and cold of the world alone. All she had to do was put on the ring.

Sharp pain erupted on her leg, barely pulling her attention away. A small viper, no longer than her arm, had buried it's fangs deep into her calf, sending intense bursts of pain shooting through her leg. With a small grunt, Mary grasped the snake by the neck and tossed it across the small room. She shook her head to rid herself of the black spots that threatened to take over her vision, wondering what she was doing there.

She was supposed to be getting ready to see her parents. They were waiting for her.  _Weren't they?_ But they were dead. _Was she dead too?_

A flash of green light.

_NO!_

" _Not Mary!"_

The ring! _Destroy the ring!_

She reached into the pocket of her robes and grasped the handle of the small iron blade and immediately plunged it into the center of the dark stone. The magical backlash caused a reverberation that sent her flying into the thin paneled wall behind her, the impact making the dark spots in her vision even more pronounced.

 _I've got to get out of here._  She thought, shaking her head.

She scrambled forward, plucking the ring from the box, and looked up. Her eyes widened as she could see hundreds of poisonous snakes emerging from every crack and crevice in the decrepit house. They surrounded her at every angle.

 _Go away!_  She hissed in Parseltongue.  _I don't want to hurt you!_

 _Master's order is to kill._  They hissed in unison.  _Kill we will._

Mary gritted her teeth and raised her wand, knowing that she was blocked in. " _Incendio_!"

The fire spell blasted the snakes out of the way, giving her a somewhat clear path to the door. The only downfall was that the dry rotted old wood that made up the shack was clearly burning very fast.

On shaky legs Mary sprinted through the flames, dodging snakes and fire to reach the small wooden door. Her foot landed on a broken board, the rusty nails sinking through the bottom of her trainers and up into the soft flesh in the arch of her foot, making her yelp in pain. She pulled the handle open and flung herself forward, falling heavily onto the dry leaves just as the house exploded behind her, sending bits of debris flying into the air above. She curled up on the hard earth and buried her face into the ground as the splinters rained down.

A lone beam struck her injured leg, burning and cauterizing her flesh in one fell swoop. She bit back the scream and focused on getting the Portkey out of her singed pocket before she burned to death. Adrenaline was both working for and against her in that moment, clouding her senses and making even the simplest task difficult, while shielding her from the worst of the pain.

"Safety." She gasped out, clutching the Portkey tightly, hoping beyond hope that she'd made it correctly and it would take her home.

The world spun around her and she landed on her bedroom floor with a loud thump. Her leg stung and ached so badly that she feared putting any weight on it would make her pass out instantly. The cold aching burn seemed to travel throughout her body, making her head swim with each beat of her heart that made the wound throb and pulse. Using the desk as leverage, she lifted herself into the chair and winced as the splinters in her back buried in deeper.

The pads of her fingertips were blackened and blistered from the heat, but still she managed to pull the ring and dagger from her pocket and place them in the locked drawer of her desk for safe keeping until she could get them into her trunk. Before she closed the drawer, she pulled a red pin from the cushion and leaned forward. Her fingers were slick with blood as she stuck the pin into the map, signifying the locations of the Horcruxes. The only green ones left were; Two in Little Hangleton -Voldemort and Nagini -, one in Gringotts – Hufflepuff's Cup -, and one in Grimmauld Place -herself.

"Ouch." She whimpered, pulling herself onto her bed, not taking her eyes off the pin that showed herself on the map of the UK. "Only four left."

If she wasn't more careful, she'd end up dead before she could destroy the rest. First of all, she had to get the potions kit Sirius kept in the kitchen and patch herself up. But getting there would take time and planning that she wasn't capable of. Calling Dobby or Kreacher would only raise questions, and she knew for a fact that both elves were far too loyal to her not mention the incident to Sirius. They would all freak out and she'd have to endure both a lecture and their hovering until the end of time. No, she would find her own way.

"Think." She ordered herself, digging her fingers into her hair and fighting back the urge to cry for help.

A soft knock startled her and she laid down, dimmed the lights, closed the curtains with a wave of her wand, and pulled the covers up just as Sirius walked in. "You okay, kid? It's the middle of the afternoon."

Mary choked down the bile in her mouth at the feeling of the heavy blankets touching the burns on her leg. "Tired. Don't feel so great."

"You're pale as a ghost." Sirius put a hand to her forehead. "Clammy too. And no offense, but you kind of stink, kiddo."

"You're making me feel better already." Mary replied sarcastically, forcing herself to sit up. "Can you bring the potion kit? I'm sure after a pain potion I'll be right as rain."

Sirius waved his wand and moments later the small metal case floated into the room. Her godfather opened it and passed it toward her, but to Mary's dismay, it held only the basic pain relievers and fever reducers, there wasn't a single anti-venom potion or burn paste in the lot.

"Anything I can do to help?" Sirius looked at her with furrowed brows.

"I...I'm Ooo...kay." Mary slurred, the world blurring around her. "It's just a headache."

Sirius stood up and patted her hand. "You sleep it off and I'll check on you in a bit."

The lights dimmed and the door clicked shut, leaving her alone with her misery. Tears of frustration and fear ran down her face as she pulled the blanket back and pried the sheet away, sloughing off a layer of burnt flesh with it. She needed to clean the wound, but to do so, meant getting all the way to the brewing area she had set up in the basement. At the rate she was going, she knew she'd be lucky to make it to the bathroom. The spinning swirling room dragged her down, like being pulled down a drain, it was impossible to fight, leaving her laying face down on her bedroom floor unconscious.

* * *

**Sirius Black**

Sirius glanced at the clock again, knowing that Mary would never miss breakfast or the opportunity to visit her friends. She'd looked pretty tired when he'd seen her earlier, but he'd chalked that up to the fact that they'd spent weeks in the dingy old house cleaning and remodeling without a break. Maybe it was too much too fast, while he'd had an entire year to get use to freedom, Mary had barely had a couple of months outside of the walls of Hogwarts.

"Fred," Sirius sighed, pushing his plate away. "Would you mind fetching Mary?"

"Sure." The boy shrugged, darting up the steps without hesitation.

The other twin narrowed his gaze and quirked a brow at him. "Everything okay, Padfoot?"

"Yeah," Sirius shook his head, "Just been a long few weeks. This house is taking it's toll."

"It'll be cleared out soon enough." George smiled confidently. "Are we all set for taking down the walls in the main entrance? I think it'd open the place up a bit."

"Of course," Sirius laughed. "The whole floor plan is changing, just like we talked about. Mary even added in an office for Weasley's Wizarding Wizards on the main floor."

Fred burst into the room, out of breath, Mary hanging limply in his arms. "She's not breathing!"

Sirius rushed forward and fell to his knees as Fred set Mary on the floor in front of him. "Get Dumbledore. St. Mungo's. Anybody!"

Panic took hold and he could do nothing but grasp her thin shoulders and stare, wondering what had happened and how. Her lips were tinged blue and he couldn't think of any spells that would help. His hand shook as he tried to find her pulse, but he just couldn't stop the tremors. And then he felt it, her pulse was weak and thready, but it was there.

" _Anapneo._ " George whispered, his wand pointing at Mary's throat.

Much to Sirius' relief, his goddaughter took in a shuttering breath, but the wheezing and gurgling sounds she made had him worried all the more. Fred stepped away from the Floo to sit beside them on the gleaming floor.

"Black." Snape stepped in from the open Floo. "What have you..."

"It's Mary." Sirius looked up at his old nemesis with hard eyes. "She was fine last night, but when I checked on her earlier she seemed out of sorts. She said she was tired and I let her sleep in."

Snape ran his wand over her and stared at Mary in confusion. "She hasn't left the house?"

"No." Sirius growled out defensively. "I'd know if she had! What are you trying to say, Snivellus? Do you think I did this to her?"

Snape's cold black eyes focused on him for the briefest of moments. "She's been poisoned."

"No." Sirius shook his head. "That's not possible. No one else is sick. And both Dobby and Kreacher love Mary, they would never hurt her."

Snape ignored him as he looked through the leather bag that sat on the floor beside them, pulling out a bright orange vial. "She was bitten by a snake, you nitwit."

Sirius stared in shock as the dire man gently lifted Mary's head and emptied the vial into her mouth. He wanted the greasy git to get the hell away from all of them, but knew that he could very well be the best chance that Mary had.

"Where was she bitten?" Snape asked after a moment. "I've given her an anti-venom draught, but unless the bite itself is treated, she may not recover or at least may lose an arm or leg."

Sirius looked down and the only exposed skin, her head, neck, and hands, were covered in scrapes and scratches, but he couldn't see any bite marks. "I have no idea. She hasn't left the house in days and she was fine last night when Remus and I returned from our trip. What in the hell happened to her?"

"Her robes are burned." Fred pointed to the charred hemline of the green cloak. "Her jeans are too."

"Should I get Mum?" George interrupted, looking from Snape to Sirius. "Or someone else of the female variety?"

Sirius clenched his fists and glared at Snape. "Where's Pomfrey?"

"On holiday with her sister." He arched an eyebrow. "Now cut her damned clothes or get out of my way. You're not a poor man, surely you can afford more."

Sirius pulled away Mary's outer robe, being careful while he was unsure of where she had been bitten. Her arms looked scratched and dirty, but when he looked down, he could see blood on her trouser leg.

"Left leg." He choked out in horror. "Roll her on her side."

Fred and George gently pulled her onto her side and George kept Mary's hands in his as she mumbled and groaned incoherently. Fred ran his hands through her hair and didn't take his eyes off her pale face.

The denim leg of her trousers was blackened and singed, leaving holes that revealed oozing burnt patches of skin and tissue. Not far above her left ankle, a pair of puncture marks marred the already grotesque looking skin. Sirius put a hand over his mouth as a putrid smell hit his nostrils. It smelled like rotten flesh and decay. Thin skin was taught and stretched over the swollen ankle and calf, blowing it up to twice it's normal size, while dark blue veins ran horizontally across her leg creating a spiderweb like pattern.

Sirius could only watch in horror, leaning back to hold Mary's hand, while Snape severed the trouser legs just above her knees. The Slytherin worked quickly to pour a thick blue potion onto the wounds and sat back on his heels, brushing the hair out of his face as they all watched the swelling disappear and color return to Mary's leg.

"What about the burns and splinters?" Sirius asked quietly.

Snape waved his wand to vanish the foul smell and went to stand. "Show me to your potions cupboard. Burn-Paste works best while fresh. While I'm gone, see if you can remove the splinters. First aid is something you should get used to when living with idiots like Potter."

Sirius lurched forward, ready to strangle Snape, but was stopped by a small hand hitting him forcefully across the cheek.

"NO!" Mary shrieked, sending them all jumping back in shock as she sat straight up, her eyes staring at the wall in horror. "SIRIUS! GET BACK!"

She lifted her reddened left hand, palm up, and faced the blank white wall. "Voldemort!"

"She's hallucinating." Snape hissed suddenly, reaching toward Mary.

The second his arms wrapped around her, the wall her hand was pointed at exploded into a million pieces, sending plaster and bits of wood flying everywhere. Sirius dove beside the couch for cover, his hands grasping Mary's arms and dragging her out of harm's way as she thrashed and screamed, trying to get away from him.

"KILL ME!" Mary yelled. "It's me you want! Leave them alone! RON! HERMIONE! RUN!"

"Potter!" Snape pulled himself forward, brushing debris from his face as Sirius struggled to hold Mary down. "Wake up! It's not real!"

Mary's eyes darted to him and back to the wall. "Hide, Snape! He knows! Voldemort knows you're a spy. He'll set his snake on you! I can't watch you die again. I just can't.  _Hide!_ "

Snape's jaw dropped and he seemed – for the briefest moment – to lose his composure completely. Sirius used all of his strength to hold her arms down, making sure that she was pinned to the floor hoping that he wasn't hurting her. Truth be told, the mixture of worry for her was warring with the way her pain filled screams echoed through the house. His heart broke at the thought of her being trapped in a nightmare where he could not reach her.

"Mary?" George knelt next to her, glancing at Sirius, then turning to pat her shoulder. "You're safe. Sirius is right beside you, and Snape's okay too. Don't worry."

"But Fred." Mary cried pitifully, tears running down her dirty face. "Not Fred."

"I'm here, Marrito." Fred patted her arm. "Come on, old girl, you're getting all sorts of attention right now and you're going to hate yourself for it later."

George looked up at his twin and then to Sirius. "We need Mum, and maybe Ron. They'll snap her out of this real fast."

"Get them." Sirius sighed, trying to keep Mary from moving.

Snape spat a mouthful of dust onto the floor. "If she hadn't just drank an Invigoration Draught I'd say we Stun her and leave her to sleep it off."

Sirius didn't reply, he was too focused on the way Mary was staring at the doorway in fear. Her fingers dug into his arm and her entire body shook with enough force to move him. Before he could even comprehend what happened, she lurched forward, running for the doorway, her wand in hand.

"Shit!" Sirius hissed, jumping up to follow her.

Had the situation not been so confusing and dire, Sirius would have laughed at the way his goddaughter limped through the house, ducking and weaving behind everything she could find, her wand brandished like a torch.

"It didn't occur to you to take her wand?" Snape sneered at him in disbelief.

Sirius shot the other man a disgruntled look. "Mad-Eye taught her how to put Anti-Theft charms on them both. If you want the piss shocked out of yourself, be my guest."

"I'm surrounded by imbeciles." Snape shook his head, then looked up to where Mary was teetering on the top step leading to the basement dungeons. "Don't move, Black. Any sudden noise and she could topple to her death."

"Wouldn't her magic save her?" Sirius responded, copying Snape as the other man took a few small steps forward while Mary was looking the other way.

Snape shot him a condescending look. "Accidental magic saves small children when they know they're in danger. Potter wouldn't know the difference between danger and daisies at the moment. Not that she's ever been very bright."

The Floo flared to life and Molly stepped out, followed quickly by Ron. Sirius waved them over, holding a finger to his mouth to signal the need for silence. Ron ignored him as he ran toward Mary with no hesitation, his arm wrapping around her and pulling her from the dangerous stairwell, and held her in place as Sirius and Snape hurried to assist him in holding her down

"Please don't tell her I did that." Ron squeaked worriedly. "She'll kill me."

"Ron?" Mary's glassy eyes focused on her friend. "Where's 'Mione?"

"With her parents." Ron said softly. "She'll be back in a couple weeks for the World Cup."

"Ireland wins." Mary mumbled incoherently. "But Krum catches the Snitch."

"What's happened here, Sirius?" Molly looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Mum?" Mary wheezed out. "Is that you?"

"It's Molly, dear." The Weasley Matron knelt down on the floor and pulled Mary out of Ron's grip. "You're home. You're safe."

"But the house was destroyed." Sirius watched as his Goddaughter's face crumpled slightly. "Stupid Voldemort. It's all my fault. Maybe I should've just let him kill me."

Molly winced at the name, but didn't stop running her fingers through Mary's tangled hair while she hummed a soothing tune. "You need to sleep, Mary."

"Too much to do." Mary looked as though she was going to sit up, but Molly held her back. "I don't have a lot of time."

Sirius reached forward to speak to her, but before his knees hit the floor, her eyes had already rolled into the back of her head and her body went slack in Molly's arms.

"Quiet." Molly growled at them all. "Cast a Feather weight charm on her, Severus, I'll finish dressing her wounds and put her to bed. Fred, George, get the elves to send up tea and soup. Sirius, I'll call you in a moment."

"Put her in the guestroom, Mum." Fred requested. "I'll have the elves clean her room. It's a wreck."

Sirius stood by and watched in a daze as the red haired woman carefully navigated the staircase with Mary held tightly in her arms.

"Mum will help her." Ron said quietly from beside him. "Don't worry about Mary. She's tougher than she looks."

The statement was simple and meant to reassure, but it only made him feel like more of a failure. It was his job to protect and take care of of her and he'd left her alone to fend for herself against some unknown enemy. Not only that, but he'd had to sit back and watch as Snape - of all people – helped her when he could not. It was infuriating and depressing at the same time.

The door to the guestroom was shut and he didn't want to interrupt Molly, so made his way up to Mary's room, hoping to find some clue of what she had been doing.

Fred wasn't wrong that the room was a mess. That should have been his first clue that something was amiss. Mary was almost obsessive about keeping things clean and orderly.

The bed covers were pulled onto the floor, dried blood and plasma were on the sheets. The smell of decay hung heavily in the air, and the potions kit he'd brought last night had been upturned and it's contents were scattered everywhere. She must have been in an intense amount of pain, but couldn't find what she needed in the meager supply.

"Sirius." Dumbledore announced himself, walking into the room, his blue eyes taking in the mess without so much as a raised brow. "Severus filled me in to the best of his ability. What can you tell me about Mary's injuries?"

"Nothing." Sirius leaned heavily on the wall, shaking his head in dismay. "Remus and I returned last night and I checked on her. She didn't look well but claimed that she was tired. I should have known something was wrong, but I honestly didn't put much thought into it."

Dumbledore listened quietly as Sirius explained, his blue eyes staring at the map on Mary's wall. Sirius stopped speaking and glanced at the map, wondering what the old headmaster was staring at. Four red and four green push pins were stuck in at random places. It didn't look like anything important, but by the look on Dumbledore's face, he realized that there must have been something more to it. And that made Sirius suspicious. Dumbledore was a brilliant man, well known throughout the world for his intellect and insight. The man knew something that he wasn't going to share with Sirius and quite frankly, it irritated him.

Dumbledore lifted a weathered hand and let his fingertips hover just in front of the map where a small smear of blood blotted out a location with a red pin. "Keep me informed about Mary's health, Sirius. Severus will be available should she need any medical attention while Poppy is on holiday."

Stunned that the man was leaving so quickly and without so much as an explanation, Sirius's temper exploded. "What do you know? You can't tell me that you don't even have a clue of what Mary's up to or how she became injured."

Kind blue eyes turned to him. "Its seems that recent events have proven that as much as I think I'm prepared, I'm often wrong and left without the first inkling of what I need to do. As for answers, I think Mary is the one you need to ask. In fact, I have quite a few questions for her myself."

 **·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	19. The Subsequent Interrogation

**August 8th, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

To say that the two days following Mary's successful destruction of the Horcrux in the Resurrection Stone were calm and relaxing would have been an outright lie. She'd woken up in the guestroom later that evening to see Sirius and Remus sitting on one side of the bed and turning her head revealed Snape reading Potions Weekly on the other side. Closing her eyes tightly, she groaned and pulled the covers over her head in an attempt to either hide or smother herself before the interrogation began.

"Mary Jane Potter." Remus's normally soft voice had a steely edge to it. "We know you're awake."

"Am not." She replied weakly, letting go of the covers as they were pulled gently from her grasp.

"Explain." Sirius leaned toward her, his gray eyes boring into hers. "And don't leave out any details."

"Wow." Mary murmured, sitting up carefully and testing out whether or not she felt any pain. "Can't even get a glass of water before you start in on me."

"Dobby." Remus called out.

Dobby popped into the room, took one look at Mary and shook his head at her in disappointment, then snapped his fingers, leaving a tray of food and glass of orange juice sitting on the bed before he disappeared with a sigh.

"Start talking." Remus urged her.

Using every ounce of Slytherin cunning and misdirection she could summon, Mary quickly came up with a feasible lie. It would make her out to be incompetent and inept, as well as flat out irresponsible, but it had all the makings of a damn good excuse.

She put her head down and avoided their watchful eyes, her newly healed fingers finding a frayed thread on the blanket to play with. "It's embarrassing."

Snape snapped the thin book shut. "Out with it, Potter."

"Well, I was going through some of the defense books in the library and found a book on Salazar Slytherin. It said that he could cast spells in Parseltongue and that they were far more powerful than normal spells. I thought I'd give it a shot, but couldn't be sure if I was pronouncing my spells correctly, so I cast Serpensortia to have a snake to talk me through it."

"Come off it, Mary." Sirius growled. "You're a Parselmouth. Any snake you summon would do your bidding, not attack you."

"Not true." Mary shook her head quickly. "Plus, I didn't exactly have time to talk to it, as soon as it appeared it turned and latched onto my leg, but instead of letting go, the little fucker hung on. Naturally I freaked out and went on the defensive. Incendio was the first spell to pop into my head and that was pretty much it. The wall exploded, at some point I even stepped on a nail. It took me hours to repair the wall and clean up the scorch marks, then the world went wonky on me and I passed out cold. I'm sorry I caused you all to worry, but really it was just an accident."

"Why didn't you just tell me what happened when I checked on you?" Sirius demanded. "You shouldn't have hid it from me. You could have died and I wouldn't have known anything was wrong."

When all else failed, denial was the way to go. "When did you check on me? I passed out before you came home."

Remus ran a hand across his face. "We're not getting anywhere like this. Mary, no more practicing spells unsupervised. Also, no summoning snakes or using fire spells in the house even when you are being supervised. Sirius, let's give her some time to rest."

"You scared me half to death, kiddo." Sirius pulled her into a light hug, followed by Remus, then they both left the room, leaving her alone with Snape.

Why was he staying behind? What had happened to make Sirius trust Snape in the same room without so much an insult, let alone leave him there with her?

"You're good, Potter." Snape's lips quirked. "Your guardians may be idiotic enough to lap up that story without questioning it, but I do not. I do wonder what they will say when I tell them that their perfect little Gryffindor goddaughter lied through her teeth."

Mary looked straight into his dark eyes. "I encountered a snake and used a fire spell to kill it. There is no lie in that."

She could feel the tendrils of magic encroaching on her mind, seeking to invade her thoughts, but she didn't fight it and did her best to not show any reaction or surprise. "What will my dear godfathers say when I tell them that you tried to pry into my thoughts uninvited? Better yet, why tell them? It doesn't seem that your attempt was successful anyway. You see, Professor, Occlumency and Legilimency books were the first ones I read. Turns out I'm not so bad at either."

"What are you hiding?" Snape jumped up and leaned over until his face was a mere foot away from hers. "During your little episode you began to hallucinate. You were under the impression that the Dark Lord was in the room. You even proclaimed that I was a spy and that you couldn't watch me die again. Your Gryffindor friends may let it slide as nothing more than the ramblings of a sick girl, but I know better."

"They can't know. Not yet." Mary pleaded with him. "But I can show you if you promise to keep it secret."

Snape nodded his head jerkily and Mary let the short string of memories drift forward into the surface of her thoughts. Memories that while completely genuine, would deter him from searching any further. In her minds eye, she could see the way the huge snake coiled it's body and slithered up the rickety old staircase. The elderly man stood there watching through a crack in the door as a slim man addressed another.

" _You will be rewarded for your efforts, Barty." A high cold voice sounded from the room. "Nagini, dispose of our guest. I believe he's heard too much."_

Snape lurched back horrified and tore his gaze away. "What was that?"

"His snake." Mary answered dully. "I had a dream, or maybe it was a vision, the other day. He ordered his snake to kill and eat that poor old man. I was stuck there, in  _it's_  mind as it devoured him. Then that Barty guy milked venom from the snake and joked about how one day they'd set the snake on me. There isn't an easy way for me to explain  _that_  to my guardians without them going postal and locking me up in the attic like some kind of damsel in distress. So I figured that if Voldie was going to send his pet after me, I'd be ready to defend myself and kill it before it killed me."

"And your outburst about me dying was about this?" He asked in disbelief.

She buried her face in her hands. "I've had nightmares for weeks. Sometimes it's Sirius, Remus, or one of my friends being attacked by Voldemort or his snake. A couple times it's been you in that old man's place."

Potter traced the scar on her forehead with a thin finger. "I think I'm actually seeing him. Like visions or something. And I've heard him talking to Barty about someone in Hogwarts who he isn't sure he can trust anymore. That was the conversation when your name came up. I don't think they're really dreams or nightmares."

"And I'm sure your little friends were thrilled to have you give proof of my wretchedness." Snape sneered in disgust, his face ashen and pale. "Who did you tell?"

"No one." Mary whispered, staring at him in sadness. "Honestly, Professor, if I believed that you were really a Death Eater, this conversation wouldn't be happening. We'd have already killed each other by now. What are you going to do, take points for me caring? So telling my friends or anybody else about these visions or how I came to the conclusion that you were once a Death Eater would serve no purpose other than having them think I've gone round the bend."

Snape paced in front of her bed while she spoke and didn't stop for minutes after. "Do not speak of this again. The Headmaster will probably wish to speak to you later concerning these visions and you are to inform him and him alone. I will know if you haven't been completely honest with him."

"Yes, sir." Mary agreed, putting her head back against the headboard.

Snape pulled a jar of orange cream off the dresser and handed it to her. "Apply the paste to the burns and bite area over the next day or so. Healer Tonks will be here to evaluate you in the morning."

"Thank you, Professor." She said quickly before he could leave. "By the way, do you think my Occlumency will ever be enough to stop the visions?"

Snape seemed to really think on her question before responding. "I suggest working more on focusing your surface thoughts. A blank or empty mind is the first sign a skilled Legilimens will look for. You have a better chance of protecting your thoughts if your opponent believes you're not protecting them at all."

Unpleasant thoughts flitted through her mind, all telling her the dangers of what would happen if Voldemort could fully access her thoughts. "Will you teach me how?"

Snape's gaze snapped to her's in an instant, pinning her in place as he considered her request. "Not today, Potter. You've already wasted part of my holiday and I'm not keen on giving up the rest."

Mary nodded and thanked him once again, trying her best to remember what she had said in these 'ramblings' and to who. It was too close a call. She couldn't let anyone know what she knew, especially Dumbledore. With that thought in mind, she started working on a plan to steer anyone away from making the right conclusions. Still though, she felt utterly wretched about how deceitful she'd been over the past year. The lies were piling on, burying her deeper in her own misery and deception.

In the meantime, she needed a Pensieve and Sirius's memories.

* * *

**Albus Dumbledore**

Albus leaned back in his soft armchair, rubbing his beard as he pondered on the letter in front of him. According to one of his contacts in the Ministry, a small shack south of Little Hangleton had mysteriously caught fire and burned to ashes the day before. Since the house had been long since abandoned, there was no one to contact about the loss of possessions, but those who knew of it's prior occupants were unsettled. The Gaunt family had a long history and the Ministry had yet to find their next of kin. In fact, they'd contacted him to find out if he'd ever met anyone by that name.

Fawkes chirped softly from his perch and ruffled his long wings, pinning Albus with a beady stare. While there was no true way to communicate with the bird, Albus had long since learned the body language of his old friend. Today Fawkes was clear on his stance that Albus was assuming far too much and not putting enough sunflower seeds in his bowl.

Once again he viewed the memory given to him by Bob Ogden, showing the dilapidated and crumbling home in Little Hangleton. It was the snake nailed to the door that stayed in the forefront of his mind. According to Sirius's frantic letter, Mary had been bitten by a snake, badly burned, and had somehow stepped on a nail. For someone who didn't believe in coincidences it wasn't a far leap to make. The question was why young Mary decided to destroy the former home of Tom's ancestors.

Placing another memory into the Pensieve, he watched a scene that transpired not even a day before, when he had been in the young girl's bedroom. The map was the key to the mystery. He was sure of it. Other than one misplaced pin, the path was there, everything lead to her being the culprit. But how could a girl of barely fourteen know more about Tom Riddle than he did? It was an ongoing mission that he trusted to no other. Not even Severus knew of his hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes.

After the initial shock of Mary's part in the Chamber of Secrets well over a year ago, Albus had begun his examination of the Diary that once belonged to young Tom. Even though Mary thoroughly destroyed the soul fragment within the diary, he could still sense the lingering magical signature of Tom Riddle each time he looked at the diary. Despite his best efforts, the only one with any idea of how many Tom planned on making was Horace, and Horace refused to speak on the matter. That was why seeing eight pins on the map threw him for a loop, as one might say.

The bell on his desk chimed, signaling a visitor waiting behind the heavy doors. With a wave of his wand, he opened the door.

"Ah, Severus." He greeted his young friend, inviting him to sit. "Tea?"

Severus waved his hand in a gesture that clearly meant that the younger man didn't care either way. "I'm here about Potter, Headmaster."

"Tea, please, Dotty." He asked the young elf gently through the charmed box on his desk, then turned his full attention to the dark haired man in front of him. "How is she?"

"Perplexing." His Potions Master sighed. "I honestly don't know how to begin, Albus."

Pushing the Pensieve to the center of the desk, Albus peered at him in request. "Would you be willing to show me your meeting with her?"

Severus leaned forward immediately, his wand at his temple. "Of course, sir."

He viewed the memory not once, but twice, before exiting the Pensieve. The scene that was clear in his mind was one of a headstrong and capable child that was very intelligent. But underneath all of that, he saw cunning young girl that was clearly playing on her godfathers' trust. Her maneuvering had been executed in such a way that they hadn't even recognized it. But Severus did, and he had called her out on it in a particularly rash manner.

It didn't bode well that Mary was already delving into the Dark Arts of Occlumency and Legilimency. She was far too young to understand the cost and consequences of using Dark magic. But more than that, he couldn't bear to think of what would have to be done if she succumbed to the Darkness such magic bred within the soul. Mary's destiny was far too great and important to lose her to such a fate. It was why he had a number of contingency plans ready in case the young girl went out of the bounds of what she was supposed to accomplish. He just hoped he never had to enact those plans.

Another thing that bothered him was Mary's reference to Barty Crouch, Jr. He'd gone personally to give condolences to Bartemius after the sudden death of his incarcerated son. Could he have truly been the first person to ever escape Azkaban? It was something he would have to reflect on later.

Severus had not moved from his chair, but sat with his head down and his tea untouched. Even from such a distance, he could feel the sense of guilt wafting off of the other man.

"What are your thoughts on her visions?" He asked steepling his fingers and leaning back in his chair.

Severus looked up with hard eyes. "She's not telling the full truth. But for the life of me, Albus, I don't understand why she would lie. Initially I believed she was withholding the visions from Black to spare him the worry, but why would she manufacture such a tale just to lie to me? There is no reasoning behind it."

"Mary is not one that trusts easily." He finally replied. "For her to give you even that much information is truly remarkable. It shows that she trusts you will not betray her confidence. For now, I believe it would be best if you keep a watchful eye on her. I'll visit her later and see if she will be willing to open up about what is troubling her so much."

"She's right about my role in all of this." Severus admitted quietly, pulling up the sleeve of his robe and revealing the tattoo that had grown darker. "The Dark Lord is getting stronger each day and I don't know whether or not he will trust me to rejoin him."

A dull pang of grief surged through him at the sight of the brand. "You have more than earned your penance, Severus. If the day should come that Lord Voldemort returns, I will not force you to return to his side."

Dark eyes met his own in resignation. "But you will ask. And I will go."

"If it comes to that." Albus replied softly. "Yes."

The younger man stood quickly and left the room, leaving Albus to his own thoughts and worries. And when the time had come for him to visit Mary, he was no more prepared than he was hours before.

He knocked lightly on Mary's door, hearing soft footsteps in the distance, before she opened it. Her shoulder's slumped slightly at the sight of him, but still she opened the door wide and waved him in, a kind smile on her face. He sat down on the plush Muggle armchair and scanned the room once again, noticing that the map on the wall that was now covered by a Quidditch poster.

"You've hidden your map." He observed quietly.

The young girl waved her wand and the poster rolled up into a scroll, revealing the map underneath. "I guess it seems pretty silly."

"What do the pins stand for?" Dumbledore stood slowly, shuffling toward the map to take a closer look.

"Places I've seen either Voldemort or his followers." She shrugged moving forward to point out a place in northern Scotland. "I'm not sure where exactly Hogwarts is located, but I've faced him twice there. Which is why it has two red pins. In Diagon Alley, near Gringotts, was where Wormtail attacked me. That's why there's a green pin there. The three pins in Blackburn are for Voldemort, Barty – whoever he is – , and Voldemort's snake Nagini. - Green pins for Voldie and his snake, and a red one for Barty -."

"And the green pin here at Grimmauld Place?" Dumbledore asked, peering at her over his glasses.

"Snape." Mary whispered and turned away. "I don't really believe that he's a follower of Voldemort, but he's still here either way. It'd be stupid to let my guard down."

"You've given him a green pin that you've associated with Voldemort and his familiar." He stated with the utmost curiosity. "Why is that?"

"Because he has the power to hurt me more than any other Death Eater." Mary admitted quietly. "He knows where I live and has full access to the place where my family lives and my friends often visit."

A profound wave of relief washed over him as he listened to her. She knew nothing of Voldemort's foray into the Darkest of magic, nor did she have any idea about the Horcruxes. She was simply young and scared, going on gut instincts to try and protect her new-found family and friends. While her research and efforts were admirable, he didn't want her to linger on such dark thoughts any longer.

"I have complete faith in Professor Snape." Dumbledore assured the small girl. "He is a trusted ally and good friend. You need not fear him."

"I'm not afraid of Snape." Mary responded vehemently. "I'm afraid of what he might have to do to regain his position and keep it when Voldemort comes back. I'm afraid of what could happen to him if he doesn't comply with that monster's wishes. And even more, I'm afraid of how it will affect us all if he has to betray us to keep his position as a spy."

Knowing that the child was fully right in her fears, but far too young to know how to deal with such matters, Dumbledore knew it was time to set her heart at ease and to let her change the subject. "This is a time of peace, Mary. While I applaud your efforts in trying to prepare yourself, it's not healthy to obsess over what may happen and forget to see the world around you. Fear is not a thing that you should have to face alone, nor will you. I once told you that help would be available should you ever need it, and I will remind you of those words again. Severus told me that you've been plagued with both visions and nightmares of Voldemort and you need not suffer through them. In fact, I beg of you to share with me any more visions you may have. It's imperative that we all prepare if the worst should happen."

"You're right, sir." She let out a sigh and looked away, her shoulder's drooping once again. "I'll be sure to let you know."

"In the meantime, I suggest rest and relaxation is in order." He smiled kindly at her, pulling the green pin on Grimmauld Place off the map.

"Sirius is planning something." She shook her head in amusement. "So I doubt I'll get much of either."

Dumbledore left the room, intent on speaking to Sirius. They had to have someone keep a closer on on young Mary. There could be a time when her visions could either provide vital information to the inevitable war. Or worse yet, if Tom ever found out about their connection, he could either possess the girl or use her to hurt others. It was something that he wasn't ready to allow.


	20. A New Friend

**August 18th, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

With a whirl of scenery, that almost made Mary regret the large breakfast she'd eaten earlier, the Portkey spat them out on the top of a grassy knoll. Sirius landed gracefully as always, and threw his head back and laughed at the sight of her gripping fistfuls of thick plushy grass just to keep the world from spinning.

"Portkeys must hate you." Sirius bit his lip to try and contain his amusement. "You okay, kid?"

Mary shot him a halfhearted glare. "Yeah."

"Our tent should be just over there." Sirius pointed to the area just next to the stadium. "We'll be in the VIP section. It's reserved for the players and Ministry officials."

"How'd you swing that?" Mary asked in astonishment, standing up and brushing her hands onto her trousers.

Sirius brushed off his sleeve and sent her a conspiratorial glance. "I have connections. And they owe me over Azkaban."

Mary raised an eyebrow at his petulant tone and shrugged. "Will we be sitting in the Minister's box too?"

"I would have it no other way." Sirius said in mock pompousness. "I'll take all the reparations I can get."

Mary rolled her eyes as they made their way through the bustling meadow. Wizards and witches in Ministry robes scuttled back and forth, waving their wands and casting incantations that she couldn't understand.

They were pretty much ignored until they walked up to where a portly wizard in gray robes sat in the shade, sipping a bright colored drink with a small umbrella at the top of the glass.

"Ludo!" Sirius greeted him jovially.

"Black!" 'Ludo' responded in equal fervor. "You made it!"

Sirius bowed his head proudly. "Wouldn't miss another match."

Ludo's eyes shifted toward Mary and she almost felt like glaring back at him in response to him staring avidly at her scar. Sirius must have sensed her apprehension, putting a steady hand on her shoulder.

"My goddaughter Mary." Sirius introduced her. "Mary, this is Ludo Bagman. He'll be commentating the match."

Ludo thrust a pudgy hand toward her. "A pleasure, Miss Potter."

"Mr. Bagman." Mary shook his hand and nodded tightly.

"We were looking for our tent in the VIP section." Sirius intoned happily. "Can you point us the right way, Ludo?"

"It's under Fidelius this year." The man squared his shoulders and stood proudly. "Extra security thanks to our new Minister."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small slips of parchment and handed them each one. Mary took her's carefully and opened it at the same time as Sirius.  _'The VIP section can be found to the right of Arena service entrance number 7.'_  It read. Mary looked up to see the spell activate and the wards shimmer as they revealed over twenty tents, with small alleys running between them. They all looked like Muggle pop-up cabana tents, with thick canvas curtains covering all four sides, and small clear plastic windows every couple of feet.

Mary almost jumped when the slip of parchment turned to dust in her hand. She'd never imagined that there was such a thing as self-destructing parchment.

"You two are in tent number 21." Ludo laughed merrily. "I'm in number four if you need me."

"You'll have to join me for a pint later." Sirius patted the larger man on the arm.

Ludo leaned toward them with a gleam in his eyes. "Watch out for tents one and two. Our foreign guest haven't arrived yet, but come this evening I suspect that things will become  _far_  more interesting."

Sirius nodded with a small smirk. "We'll keep that in mind."

Her godfather steered her through the rows of identical tents with a skip in his step that was contagious. The giddiness Mary felt was expanded on as her eyes swept from the top of the stadium to the tent that she would call home for the next week.

"Here we are." Sirius grinned at her as he pulled open the small flap on the tent. "Ladies first."

Mary stuck out her tongue at him in disapproval before walking into what could only be described as the poshest flat she'd ever seen. It was so nice that she doubted even Aunt Petunia could find something to complain about. A large sitting room surrounded the entrance, large leather couches acted like a barrier from the massive dining area and fully equipped kitchen. Dobby was standing near the stove, his ears flapping around as he hummed a joyful disco tune, cooking something that smelled fantastic.

"I love magic." Mary whispered, her mouth open in awe.

Sirius laughed loudly, flopping down onto the couch. "Me too, kid."

Mary walked through to where the large washroom was, then rounded the corner to find a large bedroom with a huge four poster bed in plush cream and white bedding sat in the center of the room.

"Siri?" Mary asked as she walked back into the sitting area. "Why don't we decorate Grimmauld place like this place, but put colorful pictures and posters everywhere?"

Sirius considered it for a moment. "I think my mother just rolled over in her grave. Hell, why not? I love that idea!"

Mary took another look around and could almost imagine the differences in Grimmauld Place.

"You take that room, Mary." Sirius yelled from the other side of the tent. "Dobby's already brought our things, so you're free to do as you like. I'm going to take a nap."

"Okay." Mary replied in a daze.

Dobby walked up to her, brushing his spindly hands across his apron. "Dobby has brought your broom if you feel up to flying."

"Thanks, Dobby." Mary pulled the elf into a quick hug. "You're the best."

Dobby's eyes watered and he smiled brightly at her before popping away.

Mary changed into some of her Quidditch gear and grabbed her Firebolt from it's spot on her dressing table. With a spell Parvati taught her, she watched in the small mirror as her dark hair plaited itself and spun around into a thick bun. She donned her gloves and set out for the grounds.

A small mousy witch was passing in front of the tent, not looking where she was going, and slammed into Mary, then stumbled backwards, raising angry eyes at her. "Watch it, girl!"

Mary bit her tongue and extended a hand to help the woman to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm so-sorry." The witch stuttered, staring at the famous lightning bolt scar with wide eyes. "You're Mary Potter!"

"Can you tell me where I can fly my broom and be out of the way?" Mary asked her politely, trying to stave off the awkwardness of the situation. "I'm getting a bit rusty on the broom."

The witch pulled her eyes away from the scar and shook her head as she pulled a small piece of parchment and a quill from her pocket, scribbling something down and signing it with a flourish.

"You can use the pitch, Miss Potter." The woman squeaked, handing her the slip of parchment. "If anyone bothers you just show them this."

Mary wanted to argue that she didn't need or want special treatment, but afraid that her presence would send the older woman into a heart attack, accepted the gesture gratefully. The moment the mousy witch was out of sight, Mary pulled a tuft of hair free from the bun and covered her scar from view, not wanting any more attention.

The pitch was empty, as was the rest of the stadium, Mary noticed as she walked through onto the field. It was a moment that she would always remember as being the most surreal thing she'd ever experience as a frequent flier. Walking out of the player's entrance and standing there, the stands surrounding her, was a stark reminder of the future she would never have. She had a predestined fate that she could not fight, but standing there made it hard not to want something far more than the crap hand that she had been dealt in life.

Without another thought Mary grasped the handle of her broom and let it pull her high into the air. She flew in lazy circles, watching as the stray witch or wizard would come through to charm or spell parts of the stands before walking away again. Eventually she blocked it all out, focusing on the Snitch and nothing else. While she was there high in the air, there were no expectations or demands, only freedom. Freedom that surrounded her like the trillions of molecules in the air, holding her tightly and safely, never letting her go.

Mary pulled the practice Snitch out of her pocket and tapped it with her wand, setting it to professional mode before letting it go. The tiny golden ball fluttered out of sight as she closed her eyes and flew in lazy circles, letting the Snitch get farther and farther away. In that blissful moment, she was a professional Quidditch player, famous only for being a world renowned Seeker. The crowd cheered when she flew through the stands and her one and only purpose was to catch the Snitch and win the match for her team.

After a few minutes her eyes snapped open, scanning the area for any sign of her target. She pushed the Firebolt to it's limit as she rounded the pitch, searching for the Snitch. Moments later she spotted the glint of gold out of the corner of her eye and darted toward it as it began a straight descent for the ground far below.

Unlike her disastrous match against Hufflepuff, and less strenuous than her match against Slytherin, Mary managed to pull her broom up just before she collided with the ground. A wide smile tugged at her cheeks as she clutched the Snitch in her hand and landed gracefully on the lush green grass.

"You are not to be here." A heavily accented voice said from behind her.

Mary spun around to face a group of seven young men standing at the mouth of the player's entrance. They all wore the Bulgarian team colors, each of them holding professional brooms.

"I apologize." Mary ducked her head slightly. "I was just leaving."

"You fly vell." One of the Bulgarians pushed his way to the front of the group. "Very vell."

"Thank you." Mary smiled slightly. "I love flying."

"I could use practice against another Seeker." The stocky boy said quickly.

"Viktor!" One of the others growled.

"I'm Mary." She took a step forward and extended her hand to the boy. "Mary Potter."

His eyes stayed on her scar for a brief second before he extended his own hand and shook hers with a gentle grip. "Viktor Krum."

"I have to be getting back to my godfather." Mary nodded politely. "I apologize for holding up your practice."

Face burning in mortification, she fled the stadium before she could do or say anything else to embarrass herself. The last thing she had been thinking about while flying was whether or not she was being watched, but to know that an entire professional team had been watching her was almost horrifying.

It seemed as though the Bulgarians were not the only ones to arrive while she'd been flying. The Irish had arrived while she had been out flying and were all mulling about in a drunken frenzy. Leprechauns darted back and forth between tents laughing merrily, while Mary made her way back to the tent. Bulgarians worked side by side with the Irish as they discussed mundane things like laundry spells, while others argued loudly over their Quidditch teams and who was better.

It was almost like a small community that existed and thrived on Quidditch.

 _If only I could survive the war._  Mary thought, trapped in a melancholy state of mind.  _This is where I'd want to live._

"Mary!" Sirius shouted, holding up a flagon of mead. "There you are."

She set her broom down and joined him and Bagman by the fire in front of the portly wizard's tent. "I went flying."

"Heard you were quite good at it." Bagman smiled at her. "Joined Gryffindor as a first year. That has to be some kind of record."

Mary nodded wordlessly, accepting a pint of Butterbeer from Sirius. It had an odd taste to it, but she ignored that, not wanting to be rude. Her godfather looked quite plastered and honestly she hoped that Remus showed up before he entered the mode of happy-go-lucky-Padfoot that always ended up in trouble. It wasn't that he was violent or obnoxious, but he always ended far too impulsive for her to handle alone.

Bagman's house elves kept them well supplied with food and drink, leaving Mary with fledgling excuses that were shot down by the two older men. For the most part, she sat beside Sirius, either watching the flames in the fire or observing the way the other people in the VIP section interacted. Whether they were from Bulgaria or Ireland, they showed no hesitation in making conversation with each other, always finding some common ground. It made her wistful to think that the Wizarding world should have been like that. There was no need for blood supremacy or bias between magical people. They should just coexist in peace.

Her vision swam and she felt like she was floating on either the edge of sleep or outright insanity. Flashes of light in the distance seemed brighter and the loud laughter of the Quidditch players rang in her ears while the strong scent of alcohol threaten to turn her stomach.

"I'm going back to the tent." Mary elbowed Sirius. "I'm tired."

Sirius looked at her with one eye half open. "It's just now dark."

Mary pointed at her watch. "It's well after midnight, Siri. Remus is probably waiting for us."

"Tell him I'll be back soon." Sirius requested in a happy daze. "Just gonna have one more drink."

It wasn't until she stood up that the world seemed to tilt on it's axis, bending reality from the most outrageous of fantasies. It seemed as though the whole world was slightly sideways as she stumbled from tent to tent, hoping that the next one would be her own. People milled about shooting off fireworks and talking loudly, distracting her and making her feel even more lost as not one of them seemed to notice her presence.

A thin hand invaded her line of sight and disappeared, then grabbed her forearm and gently pulled her into the nearest tent. Flickering orange light bounced off the walls as light melodic whispers filled the air. Mary shut her eyes and sat on what she assumed was a velvet couch, trying to regain her composure.

"Poor child." A soft voice sounded beside her. "She needs strong tea, Amara, and something light to eat."

Surprise had her scooting away and facing the person beside her. A stunning women with bright blue eyes stared at her in sympathy, her hands brushing the loose hair behind Mary's ears. The woman's profound beauty made her gasp and almost lose all sense of self.

"I'm so sorry." Mary slurred, trying to stand up. "I was just trying to find my tent."

"Stay child," The woman replied calmly. "You are welcome here until you are well enough to walk on your own again."

"What happened?" She whispered aloud. "I just had a few Butterbeers."

The woman narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue. "It's a common thing with one of these matches that the barrels of ale are spiked with something a mite stronger. You will be fine after a good night's rest."

"I apologize for the intrusion." Mary put her head in her hands, pressing her fingers into her temples to try and and stabilize the universe.

The smell of tea invaded her senses and her eyes focused on the young woman who held the cup toward her, lips pursed in disdain.

"Thank you." She whispered, accepting the mug and picking up a small sandwich.

"She does not understand English." The older woman told her quietly. "Like the rest she only speaks Bulgarian or French."

"Oh," Mary replied dumbly, pushing the loose hair away from her face.

The woman reeled back as though she had been struck, staring at her with wide fearful eyes. "You're the Potter girl!"

She sighed, trying to smile despite her unease. "I'm just Mary."

"Quickly child," the woman's hand fluttered over her shoulder's as though brushing dust from them. "Finish your tea and I will guide you back to your tent. You should not be unguarded. There are too many here that would wish harm on you!"

Mary stared at her in confusion. "From one of the Quidditch teams? I'm not bad, but I'm not  _that_  good."

"No," the pale haired woman responded, refilling her cup and handing her another sandwich. "The field is already filling with wizards of all backgrounds, but rest assured that there are plenty out there that would love to find you alone and inebriated. Although it has been many years, there are still circles of those that bought into the Dark One's beliefs."

The woman rattled off something in Bulgarian that Mary didn't even begin to understand. It was only luck, she realized moments later, that the woman wasn't actually speaking to her, but one of her friends.

"Dobby?" Mary slurred out, covering her ears in anticipation for the elf's arrival.

Moments later he appeared in front of her, his ears laying flat on his head as his large eyes narrowed at the women around them. "We need to be going now, Mary Potter."

Mary turned to her host and smiled as best as she could. "Thank you for everything. I really am sorry to have disturbed your evening."

The older women nodded warmly. "Be safe, child."

Dobby grasped her arm and gave no warning before popping them back to the brightly lit tent. Mary fell to the floor on her hands and knees, grasping at the rug like a lifeline holding her to the ground. Dobby patted her back gently, but it only seemed to make her stomach roll even more.

"Mary?" Remus yelled, his footsteps sounding closer and closer. "Are you okay? Where's Sirius?"

"Sirius is at Ludo Bagman's tent." Mary groaned, leaning on the side of the couch.

"Are you drunk?" Remus hissed in shock.

"Ouch." Mary covered her ears at the loud tone. "Spiked Butterbeer. Blame Bagman."

Remus sighed loudly. "Can you get her to bed, Dobby? I need to find Sirius."

"Dobby will, sir." Dobby whispered, taking her arm and basically pulling her to the room on the other side of the tent.

One minute Dobby was pulling the cover over her and the next thing she knew, Remus was pulling the cover back, bright sunlight filtering in through the tent, making her want to bury her head in the sand or claw her eyes out in an attempt to get away from the headache inducing brilliance of the morning.

"Get up, Mary Jane." Remus sighed and nudged her. "There's a young man waiting for you at the door."

"Wha...?" She squinted through one eye. "Who is it?"

Remus shook his head. "He didn't say. Only asked if he could speak with you."

"Ugh.." Mary groaned and stalked toward the door.

When she pulled the flap back, she couldn't help but let out a little squeak of shock as she recognized Viktor Krum, standing there in his Quidditch robes, holding a broom and staring at her.

"Hi." She said finally.

"Olena asked me to check on you." Krum said gruffly. "She vants to know if you are okay."

"I'm good." She replied confidently, but ended up falling over when she misjudged the pole that she meant to lean on. "Just need a strong cup of tea. Come on in."

"I must go." He shook his head.

"Come on." Mary stood aside and waved him into the sitting room. "I might not be the best company at the moment, but I'd fell like a complete shite if I didn't offer you tea."

He looked reluctant at first, but at the sight of the large breakfast Dobby put on the table, he stopped protesting. Breakfast was the last thing Mary wanted to see, in fact, just looking at her made her feel ill.

"You drank the ale." Viktor noted, accepting a cup and plate from Dobby. "Never drink the ale."

"I'll keep that in mind." Mary groused, pressing her fingers to her temples.

"For you, Mary Potter." Dobby placed a glass half full of frothy liquid in front of her. "Drink it up, young miss. You will feel right as rain after."

Mary stared at the glass in confusion, lifting it to her nose to smell and abruptly pulling it away as the strong scent of mint burnt her sinuses. "Bloody Hell!"

Remus poked his head out from his bedroom and laughed. "It's a Sobering Draught, Mary Jane. Best to just drink it."

He disappeared from view while Mary grimaced at the glass in disgust. Without another thought, she upturned the foul tasting liquid and drank it in one gulp. The flavor quite literally took her breath away and she choked and coughed repeatedly before regaining the ability to breathe.

A deep chuckle shook the table and she looked up to see Krum watching her in amusement. "It is meant to be taken in small sips."

"Thanks for the warning." She grinned sarcastically, then picked up her cup of tea to drown out the bad taste in her mouth. "So, Olena sent you?"

"Yes." He replied quickly.

"How do you know her?" She asked curiously, wondering why the Quidditch star had accepted the task of tracking her down.

"They travel vith the team." Krum put his fork down.

It was one of those moments where she wished she could smack herself. A tent full of beautiful women that traveled with the Bulgarians. They were Veela. Of all the tents to stumble into, it had to be the Veela tent. She looked up to see Viktor staring at her arms and had the sudden urge to flee the room. Why hadn't she grabbed a dressing gown?

"They were very kind in helping me out." Mary said putting her hands on her lap to keep her arms hidden. "To be honest I think I was a few steps away from passing out in Leprechaun territory."

Krum shook his head and ate another piece of bacon. "Thank you for the meal."

"This one was all Dobby." Mary looked around for the little elf.

Krum pulled a silver pocket watch from his robes and looked at the time, something that seemed odd considering that there were numerous spells that could tell or even sing the time. "I have to go."

"Uh, okay, thanks for checking up on me." Mary said awkwardly as she stood and walked him out. "I'll be sure to send a thank you to Olena as well."

"I fly before breakfast each morning." He turned to her. "You are velcome to join me if you like."

"Really?" Her mouth gaped open at the offer. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"It is more productive to fly against another." He said shortly. "And my teammates do not like mornings."

Mary shrugged her shoulders, a thrill running through her. "I'll see you there at dawn."

With a quick nod, he left, leaving Mary feeling like she'd woken up in some kind of dreamland. Her entire body felt like it was floating as she sat absently at the table and started making a plate for herself.

"You're putting eggs in your tea." Remus quirked a brow at her as he sat down in the spot Krum had been in moments before.

"Krum asked me to go flying with him." She whispered, as though saying the words too loud might make them untrue. "A professional Seeker wants to fly with  _me_."

"Do I need to have a talk with him?" Remus narrowed his eyes at her. "He's far too old for you. I don't think this is a good idea."

"What?" Mary leaned back in shock. "You honestly can't think he likes me like  _that_? I mean, he's a  _professional_  Seeker. He could have anyone in the world. He'd have to be flat out stupid  _and_  brain damaged to like  _me_  like that."

Remus quirked a brow at her. "You're beautiful, Mary Jane. I don't like the way he just showed up here, not knowing you at all and coming up with an invitation like that. I don't trust him."

"Relax, Moony." Mary begged. "Olena asked him to check on me. I stumbled into her tent last night and she helped me sober up enough to call Dobby. Krum was just being nice."

"Who's Olena?" He asked imperiously. "His mother?"

"No." Mary shook her head in exasperation. "Olena is one of the Bulgarian Veela mascots."

Remus stood so abruptly that he upset his tea. "You were with a Veela last night? I'm going to kill Sirius!"

Mary put her head in her hands and groaned. Somehow, she'd gone from having no one who cared, to having a whole lot of people that were overprotective in the span of a year.

"Olena was very nice." Mary stood up in the Veela's defense. "They gave me tea and sandwiches and made sure that I was safe. Not to mention she had Krum check on me. Let it go, Moony. I made it back in one piece."

Mary left the room, wanting to get ready to go out and explore the area some more, but when she walked into the washroom the sight in the mirror almost scared her. Her hair was sticking out in every direction, green paint was smeared on her cheek, grass and dirt stains covered her hands. She was a wreck. It was no wonder as to why Krum had fled as fast as he could.

Nervous energy kept her on edge for the rest of the day. Hours were spent polishing her broom and trimming the twigs on the end of it. She paced through the tent reading Josef Wronski's book as though it held the secrets to all of her problems. Even Remus's non-stop badgering of a badly hungover Sirius wasn't enough to pull her thoughts away. And much later that night, she tossed and turned, trying to mentally prepare herself for the morning.

At the first light of dawn she crept out of the tent, leaving a short note on the table, letting Sirius and Remus know where she would be. Tendrils of smoke from dying campfires drifted through the cool misty morning air, leaving the scent of heady oak lingering around her as she walked towards the massive stadium. The quiet atmosphere relaxed her frayed nerves and left her feeling exited but surprisingly peaceful.

Krum was already standing in the middle of the pitch when she exited the player's entrance. It looked as though he was deep in thought and she almost felt bad for disturbing him. She cleared her throat and he turned around, his wand in hand.

"Morning." She greeted cautiously. "Everything alright?"

"Morning." He nodded swiftly.

Trying her best to ease the awkwardness, Mary pulled her practice Snitch out of her pocket and held it in the air. "Ready?"

"Let it go." Krum replied calmly. "Ve vill vait until it is lost."

Mary released her grip and watched as the Snitch unfurled it's golden wings and launched itself into the dim morning light. Understanding that Krum wasn't a very talkative person, Mary sat down on the damp grass and tried to think of a safe topic for conversation.

"You play Quidditch at school?" Viktor asked, sitting a few feet away, and taking away her chance at picking a topic.

"Yeah." Mary shrugged. "Going on four years. You?"

"I played for three years before I vas signed." He admitted quietly.

Mary stared up at the sky, letting the mist fall onto her face. "It's different when I'm up there. Like it's the only true freedom I'll ever feel. Honestly I could live without playing Quidditch, but flying is something I could never give up. No expectations or rules, just the wide open sky."

"No." Krum shook his head. "I could not live vithout flying either."

They sat there on the dew covered pitch in silence, watching as flocks of birds flew overhead and the sounds out in the campground grew louder. Mary closed her eyes and thought about spending days just like this, where the only thing to prepare for was the next Quidditch match. Where the only thing she had to worry about was whether or not she'd catch the Snitch.

"I think it's lost." Krum's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Mary opened her eyes to see him staring at her in confusion.

"Let's go then." Mary smirked and mounted her broom.

They took to the air and went in separate directions. All of the awkwardness seemed to melt away and she let the wind embrace her as she sped through the mist, zig-zagging from one side of the pitch to the other. A sparkle of gold flashed in the corner of her eye and she turned and darted to it like a lightning bolt. Krum was suddenly at her side, bent over his broom, his eyes glued on the elusive Snitch. They were getting closer and closer to it by the second, each of them urging their brooms faster.

And then it disappeared.

Krum rattled off a succession of what Mary could only translate as curses in Bulgarian. Mary laughed and pulled her broom higher into the air, going back to searching for the sneaky Golden Snitch. But to her surprise, it appeared straight ahead, all the way on the other side of the pitch. She was off like a shot, twisting and turning to gain the best aerodynamic advantage.

Once again, Krum flew up beside her, but instead of focusing on the Snitch, he tried to ram his broom into the side of hers. A chuckle escaped her as she executed a barrel roll over him, avoiding his attempt at sabotage. By the time they got back on track the Snitch was gone again.

"Bloody hell." Mary groaned, mock glaring at her opponent. "I blame you."

"It is a good technique to learn ven needing to vait for your team to score more points." Krum smirked, holding out his hand to reveal the Snitch. "And also makes good distraction."

"That was bloody brilliant!" She exclaimed. "I didn't even see you catch it."

"Tell me about this Hogwarts." Krum handed her the Snitch and flew back into the air. "There has been talk lately of my school visiting there."

Ah, the Tournament, something she was trying not to think about. "It's massive. I think it took me half of first year to remember how to get to class. We're split up into four houses that compliment our personal qualities. If you end up visiting, I suggest you visit Hogsmeade. Honeydukes has some of the best chocolate around and Zonkos has some really neat pranking products."

"I see." He shrugged in a non-committal way.

"So how's life at Durmstrang?" Mary asked curiously.

"Strict." Krum sighed. "The rules are law. Breaking the rules comes with harsh punishment. I will be quite happy vhen I never have to set foot in that place again."

"Surely you have friends that you'd miss?" She wondered, trying to remember that information from Harry's memories but coming up blank.

"A few friends." Viktor looked away and stared at the grassy hillside in what looked like sadness.

"Hogwarts was my first home." Mary almost whispered. "That's where I made my first friends. I can't imagine never going back."

"You are very famous though." Krum said as though it was obvious.

Mary frowned at that. "Not for a good reason."

Viktor grimaced. "I am sorry. I did not mean to offend."

Mary smiled crookedly. "I'm not offended. I guess it's just the stigma of everyone knowing your name. I thought you'd the type of guy to be walking around surrounded by girls and always showing off."

Viktor clenched his jaw. "Truly? You thought that of me?"

"You're Viktor Krum, International Quidditch star." She elbowed him gently. "No, to be honest, I never thought much past what strategies you used to win the game and what type of broom you had."

Viktor laughed quietly. "A Firebolt, same as you."

"I used to have a Nimbus 2000." Mary admitted. "It was a great broom. I miss it."

"Vhat happened to it?" Viktor asked curiously.

"I crashed it." Mary pulled up her sleeves. "You can still see some of the splinters."

Viktor grimaced in sympathy. "At least your broom vill always be vith you."

Mary shrugged. "That's a nice way to look at it."

Krum turned his gaze back to the sky. "Release the Snitch?"

"Hell yes." Mary laughed, throwing the golden ball into the air once more.

Meeting Krum on the pitch each morning became a routine over the next few days. They never talked much, both content with flying and simply being there without any more expectations or rules to stop them. Sometimes Krum would teach her to curse in Bulgarian, other times she would show him the Marauder's Map and point out the interesting, and most dangerous, parts of Hogwarts. But then the day came that they were finally told that the pitch was off limits. Krum said his goodbyes and left to join his team before the big match, while Mary went back to the tent with her godfathers. Neither of them were happy with her spending time around Krum, but it's not like they were doing anything other than flying.


	21. The Quidditch World Cup

**Mary Potter**

"Arthur sent a letter this morning." Remus said as he passed her a plate of sandwiches. "They've set up camp and want us to join them for dinner before the match."

"Brilliant." Mary smiled brightly. "Can we go now? I haven't seen Ron since he tackled me."

Sirius chuckled. "You're not really going to give him a hard time for that, are you?"

"Damn skippy, I am." She said seriously. "He shouldn't have done that. I didn't know my arse from my elbow that night and might have hexed the ears off of him. Never approach a crazy person with a wand. It's Survival 101."

"You were hallucinating." Remus sighed. "It wasn't your fault and you're not crazy."

Mary wrapped the remainder of her sandwich in a napkin and stood. "Let's go."

"Hold up." Sirius said, standing up and pulling a bag off the counter and handing it to her. "You're wearing these."

Mary pulled a pair of dark sunglasses and a red bandana with the Bulgarian Team symbol embossed on the front. "Are you trying to get me killed? More than half the fans out there are rooting for Ireland."

Sirius tapped the bandana with his wand and it immediately changed to bright neon green with a pattern of shamrocks on it. "Quit complaining and put it on."

Mary groused as she tied the swath of fabric around her head, covering her scar. "Do I look like a hippie?"

Remus stared from her to Sirius with wide eyes and Mary could see him biting the inside of his cheek and repeatedly pinching his own leg. "Yes."

"Lovely." She scowled, walking out of the tent with them flanking her sides.

It was complete and utter chaos outside. People talked and laughed loudly from beside their campfires. Children darted to and fro like garden gnomes on a caffeine high. Cart vendors ambled through the main alleys seeking buyers for their souvenirs. There was no order to the direction the crowd walked and she would have been trampled over many times if Sirius and Remus hadn't been there to pull her out of danger.

Ministry wizards would pop in, bellow orders at law breaking fans and disappear at random, leaving the surrounding crowd to go right back to what they were doing, regardless of the consequences. Remus held tightly to her Muggle arm, leaving her left hand free if she needed to get her wand. While there were times when she felt that her godfathers were unbearably overprotective, there amidst the swarming crowd and raucous insanity, she was immensely grateful for their presence.

"Professor Lupin!" A voice shouted, making them all turn.

Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas pushed their way forward, going against the current of the crowd to greet them.

"Mary!" Dean smiled and shook her hand. "Almost didn't recognize you."

"What gave me away?" She laughed, shaking Seamus' hand.

"Being with us." Sirius whispered conspiratorially.

"Yeah," Seamus laughed. "Me mam recognized Mr. Black from across the field. We almost didn't beat her here."

"Should I run?" Sirius looked back and forth, his eyes scouring the crowd for danger.

"Nah," Seamus shrugged. "We lost her back in Bulgarian territory. She'll be arguing for days at least."

"We're looking for the Weasley's tent." Remus offered. "Would you like to join us?"

"Maybe later." Dean replied quickly. "We're in a bit of hot water 'cause Seamus blew up the tent."

Seamus laughed loudly. "Ron's family is on the next lot. You can't miss it. Us redheads are notoriously hard to hide."

"Later then." Mary waved at them as they took off in the opposite direction.

Oliver Wood ran toward them like a rampaging bull, barely stopping before picking Mary up and swinging her around. "You've got to meet my parents, Mary!"

"We'll meet you at the Weasley's tent." Remus let out a groan and grabbed Sirius by the arm, pulling him away.

"Okay." Mary let Oliver drag her through another alley and into a small outcropping where smaller more Muggle looking tents sat.

"Mum! Dad!" Oliver yelled, pulling her into the tent. "Mary's here!"

"Mary!" Katie Bell exited the tent and rushed toward her. "How are ya?"

"Good." Mary smiled brightly. "Having a good summer?"

Katie kissed Oliver on the cheek. "Definitely."

The moment she met them, Mary realized that Oliver and his parents were polar opposites. They were a very quiet and kind older couple that seemed to adore their son. Better yet, they treated Katie like a queen and doted on her. As for Mary, her very presence seemed to set them on edge and make them nervous, which was why she opted to leave at the first opportunity.

A cart vendor stopped her as she made her way back to where she'd left her godfathers. "Omnioculars, dear?"

Mary looked at the older man and smiled. "I'll take eleven."

His eyes widened as she pulled out a stack of galleons, placing them in his palm. "I'll put them in a bag for you, dear girl."

"Thanks." She accepted the small brown pouch with a smile and finished her walk.

Seamus had been right, the Weasleys were very easy to spot. Each one wore tall green and white hats that clashed marvelously with their bright red hair. Sirius and Remus sat next to Arthur and Bill, talking animatedly over some issue. Seeing her chance, Mary crept up to the circle and grabbed her target from behind, pulling him right out of his seat.

"That was for tackling me." Mary brushed her sleeves back down and grinned innocently, while the rest of the large group laughed loudly.

Ron looked over at Sirius in horror. "I thought you weren't going to tell!"

"Pensieve memory." Sirius shrugged. "I didn't have to say anything."

"Here." Mary pulled the bag out of her pocket and pulled a pair of Omnioculars out, then passed the bag to Ron. "Got enough for everyone."

"Brilliant." Ron exclaimed.

Hermione hugged her quickly and accepted a pair, then stared at them in fascination. "I read about these. They're supposed to be fantastic to view the matches with. The many different features also allow instant playback and slow motion. But they're not confined only to use in Quidditch matches, you can use them in day to day activities as well."

"I'd say all you keep them handy at Hogwarts this year." Bill chuckled lightly, accepting his pair. "There are certain things you might want to watch twice."

"Like what?" Ron demanded.

"Nothing, Ron." Mr. Weasley intervened. "Bill's just having a laugh."

"He's taking the piss, Ron." Fred added.

George piped up. "Jerking your chain, Ron."

"Enough, boys." Mr. Weasley shook his head.

Mary sat back quietly as they all went back to talking, but inwardly, she was mulling over the fact that Fourth Year was just days away. Had she changed enough to avoid the Tournament? She knew full well that Mad Eye was safe, having seen him and Tonks just the day after her latest accident. Still though, there were no guarantees, all she could do was wait and hope for the best.

"Come on, Mary." Bill tugged at her arm. "We've got to go. The match is starting."

The chaos on the trail to the stadium was a fraction of what it was like on the inside. The sounds of thousands upon thousands of people stomping around was enough to have her clutching her ears in pain. The stench of so many bodies in such a confined area nearly overwhelmed her heightened senses and the flashes of cameras had her reaching into her pocket to put her sunglasses back on.

"Here." Remus grasped her arm and placed a pair of earplugs in her hand. "I'm going to cast a sensory spell on you, a delimited one, so that you can see and hear as the rest of them do."

His wand tapped her nose and ears, making her sneeze and her ears ring until she got used to the strange sensation that the spell caused. "Thanks, Moony."

He patted her back, guiding her up the steep steps, but by the firm set of his jaw and tension in his movements, she knew that he was struggling with the situation just as much as she was. Through it all, it was still intoxicating and thrilling to be there.

When Bagman announced the Bulgarian Team Mascots the crowd went berserk. The Veela began to dance and ethereal music filled the stands, making her mind swim before a familiar face appeared on the large viewing screen. It was Olena.

Shaking her head, Mary looked around to see most of the men in the Top Box were in the same sort of trance. Mr. Weasley was holding Charlie's arms before his son could tear off the rest of his shirt. Bill sat with his head down and his ears covered, looking around pleadingly.

"Stinging hexes!" Mary yelled at Hermione and Ginny, casting the hex at Sirius over and over, before her godfather could jump over the railing. " _Stupefy_!"

"Nice work, Mary Jane." Remus yelled her way.

"Cast one of those delimited things on Bill before he goes barmy!" Mary yelled back, helping Hermione hex Ron and the Twins into submission.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she looked up to see both Mr. Malfoy and Draco struggling to get out of their seats while Mrs. Malfoy sat back looking bored and slightly insulted.

Catching her gaze, Mrs. Malfoy smirked. "Sticking charms work the best."

" _Manere_!" Mary cast at Ron, then the twins and Charlie, just as soon as they had been wrestled back into their seats.

And finally, the song ended, leaving the guys in the Top Box looking around in confusion and disbelief. Mrs. Malfoy cancelled the charm on her son and husband before they had even realized what happened.

"What the hell?" Ron groaned, rubbing his backside. "Who slapped me?"

Ginny laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down, her bushy hair swaying as she shook her head. "I wasn't expecting that."

* * *

 

Hours later Mary, Sirius, Hermione and the Weasleys sat around the campfire until it was late, reveling in the epic game that they had just witnessed. They argued back and forth of the strategies and replayed the match over and over on the Omnioculars as they drank Butterbeer and snacked on leftover sausages.

"Krum surely should have waited until Bulgaria had gained more points!" Sirius exclaimed once again.

"He caught the Snitch just as the Quaffle sank!" Ron retorted defensively. "There was really no way for him to know that he was catching it too soon. It happened at the same time!"

Mary felt a pang of sadness for the Bulgarian Seeker. He'd played well and had done an admirable job of keeping Lynch distracted throughout the match. It really had come to just those last few seconds. While Moran was pulling her arm back to toss in the Quaffle, Krum was reaching for the Snitch. Just as the ball entered the hoop, Krum's fingers wrapped around the Snitch. Had their timing not been so in sync, it would have ended in a tied game, or the Minister may have extended it for a tie-breaker.

Shouts interrupted the argument and they could hear screams coming from every direction. Flashes of bright orange light illuminated the distant hill as fire erupted in the valley. Everyone stood to their feet as the high pitched wails increased in volume and people began running away from their tents as chanting could be heard from across the moors.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Sirius blinked blearily at the crowd, moving to stand.

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "Sit down, Paddy, you're drunk."

"Am not." Sirius stuck his tongue out.

"Death Eaters!" A tall man bellowed, knocking over a bench and table, hurrying to get away.

"Run!" A woman yelled frantically at her companion, scooping up her child and darting toward the woods.

"Get to the woods!" Mr. Weasley ordered them, grabbing Ginny's hand and dragging her toward Fred and George. "Don't let them out of your sight, Fred. Find cover! Bill, Charlie, I'm going to help."

"Mary." Sirius stopped her, looking suddenly sober. "Stay with them."

Remus shot her a stern look. "Be safe. We'll find you as soon as we can."

"Be careful." She whispered, watching them disappear into the fray.

She followed her friends through the pushing and shoving crowds, trying her best to keep hold of Hermione's hand as they made their way to the tree line. The group of chanting men had split up and were setting fire to everything in their path, getting closer and closer by the moment. Mary knew that she shouldn't have looked back, that she should have kept going and stayed with her friends. But it was like some deeply ingrained part of her subconscious wouldn't let her.

" _Crucio!_ " A burly voice called out and a woman screamed in agony as she fell to the ground.

The crowd pushed and shoved at her, making her clench her jaw as she tried and failed to move in any direction without being trampled. A firm shove ended the battle for her, sending her sprawling to the ground and diving for cover before any feet could hit her.

"Mary!" Ron screamed, being pulled away by the frantic crowd.

"Go!" Mary yelled back. "I'll catch up!"

Loud laughter hung in the air around her, while the woman sobbed brokenly on the ground. The masked wizard stared at her with a feral glint in his eyes, leaning down, wand still pointed at her prone form.

" _Expelliarmus._ " Mary hissed out, catching him off guard and pulling his attention away from the young woman still whimpering at his feet. "Leave her alone!"

"Potter!" Another man shouted, alerting his associates their new target.

Mary ducked behind a half burned tent, dodging spells that flew past at an alarming rate. " _Protego._ "

Her shield caught the worst of the blasting hex, but a sickly yellow spell whipped by her face, so close that she could feel the tendrils of magic floating past her. Mary checked her surroundings and was relieved to see that she was alone other than the masked men. At least now she had no fear of others getting hurt or in the way of the spell-fire.

"Come on out, girly." A deep voice crooned over the sound of distant screams. "There's too many of us. And only one of you."

" _Expecto Patronum_." She cast quietly, and watched in fascination as Prongs charged down the small group, scaring the lot of them into ducking for cover.

With a burst of speed and energy, she ran, heading in the opposite direction of her friends and the innocent people who would be far easier targets.

"She's close!" A very familiar voice drawled. "Stunners only. I'll be the one to torture her when she's captured."

"There!" Another man yelled and shot a red spell in her direction.

Mary jumped to the right, barely dodging the curse, but tripped over a protruding rock and fell heavily to the side. Her leg was cut, not badly, but enough that it would hinder her from escaping as quickly as she'd like.

Spells flew over her head and she rolled as quickly as she could to avoid them. Getting to her feet once again, she took off as fast as she could, shooting random spells behind her to slow them down, but it was inevitable. A light blue curse hit her left hand, causing her to drop her wand and fall to the ground with a dull thud.

"Got the little bitch!" One of them crowed.

Out of breath, she laid on the ground, trying to grasp her wand that was just a few inches away, while the footfalls of her enemies approached closer and closer. Freezing cold enveloped her hand, burning it, making the muscles cramp up and twist in upon themselves. Still, she had to try. With a burst of speed, she rolled to the side, her injured hand barely able to grasp her wand as a hex was hurled her way. Lifting her Muggle arm to shield her face, she cast three quick stunning spells; two of them hitting their targets.

The sky glowed green, washing the world below in the dim light, while large skull appeared overhead with a serpent slithering out of it's mouth. Loud pops sounded from all around her as she sat up, clutching her aching arm, staring at the Dark Mark in fear and worry. The Death Eaters may have fled, which was a relief, but whoever had cast the spell was still out there.

Mary flopped back onto the ground and groaned. trying to keep the tears of pain at bay. She occupied her mind by hoping that her friends and family were safe and unharmed, all while wondering where they were. Dawn was in less than four hours, if she had to, she could wait until first light to search for them. Calling Dobby could put him in danger if any Death Eaters were about, and stupidly, she'd left her Portkey on her dresser at home.

"They just left!" A voice interrupted her musings. "Up and disappeared the moment the Mark appeared."

"Good thing." Charlie's voice sounded winded, but like music to her ears. "They gave everyone quite a scare. Bunch of effing cowards, going after people like that."

"Charlie." Mary choked out in a whisper, then cleared her throat and yelled. "Charlie!"

The light of his Lumos blinded her and she shielded her eyes with her good hand, trying to let her eyes adjust. Charlie moved his wand away from her face and cast a spell on her, one that she knew would reveal who she really was.

"Mary?" He leaned down and pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay? Where are the others? "

"They went with the crowd into the woods." She answered quickly, kicking the downed Death Eater in the side once more. "I'm okay. I stunned this man. Probably broke a few of his ribs too."

One of the Ministry Auror's pulled back the man's hood, revealing Nott senior. "I'll get him back to the Ministry. You have this handled, Weasley?"

"We'll be fine." Charlie sighed, nodding his head and pulling Mary closer to his side.

The Auror pulled a pen out of his pocket and let the Portkey take him to some forbidden place within the bowels of the Ministry.

"Are you sure you're okay to walk?" Charlie asked as he looked at her in concern. "I can carry you, if you'd like?"

She let go of his hand and limped beside him. "I'm alright."

The whole time Mary was insanely worried about Sirius and her friends. There were so many people at that event. How many had been hurt? Had anyone been killed? Had she somehow changed the happenings of events and caused the death of some poor helpless person? Her mind swam with possibilities and she stumbled more than once over the rubble, finally allowing Charlie to lend a helping hand and let her lean on him as they made their way back to the tent.

* * *

**Bill Weasley**

"In which direction?" Sirius demanded of Ron. "Where was the last place you saw her?"

"Heading toward the treeline!" Ron yelled back furiously. "If you'd bloody well let me go we could find her faster!"

"I swear we were just north of here," Hermione cried. "It couldn't have been more then ten minutes after you left us. She has to be out there somewhere."

"Not if they've taken her." Sirius growled.

"Tell us again, Ron." George said softly.

Fred patted his brother on the back. "Start at the beginning. It might give us a clue to who she was with."

Hermione spoke up. "We were following the crowd to the woods when they attacked. One of the men cast a curse, 'Crucio', at someone in the crowd. A woman fell over screaming and everyone else panicked. Mary was pulled from my grasp and we were separated."

Ron choked out a sob. "She yelled at us to go and said she'd catch up. Then she started casting spells and I lost sight of her."

"Dad!" Charlie yelled from somewhere in the distance, causing Dad to turn and sprint toward the sound of his voice with Bill right behind him.

"Charlie!" Dad breathed a sigh of relief as his second son came into view. "Mary!"

Bill could see the young girl standing next to Charlie, looking small and pale. Her jeans were torn and her leg was bleeding profusely. She had one of those sickly sweaty looks that people normally had right before they passed out, and Bill noticed the way his brother seemed to hover at her side like he was ready to catch her before she fell over.

Having heard her name, Sirius brushed past Bill and scooped Mary up into his arms, knocking the wind out of her, before setting her down and grasping her shoulders.

"Why didn't you stay with the other children?!" Sirius screamed at her. "Why did you go out there alone?"

"I  _was_  with them." Mary defended herself calmly.

"You should have stayed with them then!" He yelled in dismay.

Mary jutted her chin and pinned her godfather with a stony glare. "I had a better chance of getting away by myself than we did as a large group. Plus, I  _wanted_ to draw the attention away from the others so that they could get away safely. They were torturing that poor woman!"

"You shouldn't have put yourself at risk!" He gripped her arms tightly. "It is not your job nor responsibility to protect every living creature! I hope you know that you're going to be grounded for the rest of the holidays!"

"Fine." Mary ground her teeth and closed her eyes.

"No! It is  _not_  fine!" Sirius hissed and shook her. "Not until you understand just how reckless you were tonight!"

"Sirius!" Charlie interjected, standing up to put a hand between them, his voice calm but firm. "Her left hand is shattered. You're hurting her."

"Shit!" Sirius let go of Mary as though he had been burned. "I'm sorry, kid. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She scraped her good hand over her face. "It's not that bad."

Remus jogged toward the tent, his face covered in soot. "I've scoured the woods. She's not there."

"She's here, Moony." Sirius replied quickly.

Remus didn't bother to ask questions or say anything, just pulled Mary into his arms and hugged her quickly. "Are you okay?"

"She'd be better if you all backed off and let her get treatment." Charlie ground out. "She's just walked for half an hour after being hit with who knows how many spells. Back the eff off!"

Bill couldn't have been more proud of his little brother than at that moment, while normally calm and quiet, Charlie wasn't much for drama, and especially hated it when someone was hurt.

"Did you hear what spell was used on you?" Bill asked quickly, helping Mary sit by the fire.

Sirius paced back and forth, looking back at her with both a worried and guilty expression on his face. Bill wanted to say something, anything to calm them both down, but knew it was hopeless. While everyone was worried about Mary, she had only worried about helping out a complete stranger.

"It was non-verbal," Mary shook her head, sweat beading down her her cheek. "The light was a really pale blue though. And that Death Eater looked pretty thrilled to have hit me with it, so I'm guessing it's not a tickling jinx."

" _Os Ignis,_  maybe?" Charlie sat down beside her and gently picked up her mangled dirty hand that looked like it had caved in on itself.

"Looks like a variation of the Frostfire Curse." Bill looked at Mary and winced in sympathy. "Does it feel cold?"

"No," Mary chuckled darkly. "It bloody well burns. It feels like my muscles are so cramped up that I can't move it and it's almost traveled up to my shoulder."

"I don't want to risk a counter-curse that might not work." He told Remus, who seemed more stable at the moment. "It'd be better if we take her to St. Mungo's."

"No." Mary pulled her hand free and scooted away. "Aunt Andy will never let me hear the end of it. I'm fine. It'll wear off in a day or two. It's no big deal."

Remus pulled a Muggle notebook out of his pocket. "Arthur, I'd feel better if we all go together. I'll have Dobby and Kreacher return for our things. We can take the Portkey back to Grimmauld Place and you are welcome to wait there or Floo home."

"Thank you, Remus." His dad sighed. "I'd feel better if the children were in a safe place."

Remus held out the notebook and everyone put a finger forth to touch it, letting it carry them back to safety. The second they landed, Ron and Hermione pulled Mary away from Sirius and helped her sit on the couch. Despite their objection, Dad pushed Ginny and the Twins toward the Floo to explain the situation to Mum, while Bill would stay back with Charlie and Ron.

"I have to go check in at the Ministry." Dad said quietly, his brows furrowed. "I haven't heard from Percy since the night before last. Will you stay here?"

"Of course." Bill agreed quickly. "Let me know as soon as you have any news."

Dad nodded quickly and left, leaving him to check in with the others.

"Don't ever leave us like that again!" Hermione cried, leaning her head on Mary's shoulder. "We're supposed to work as a team!"

"I'm sorry." Mary put her arm around her, leaning onto Ron's side. "I just couldn't bear the thought of anyone else getting hurt."

"But why does it always have to be you?" Ron whispered brokenly.

"I'm just lucky I guess." Mary elbowed him gently, a small pained smile on her face. "Really though, thanks for trusting me. You don't know how bad I panicked, thinking that at any moment one of you might have charged in."

"We tried." Hermione argued. "But we couldn't find you."

"Good." Mary nodded quickly.

Normally, Bill would have wrote off this type of behavior as either insanity or stupidity, but Mary truly seemed to not care about her own well being, even to the point of self-sacrifice. For someone that he considered to be part of his family, it scared him to see that level of devotion. He had half a mind to go the same route as Sirius and Remus and demand she stay at Grimmauld Place.

"Your records have their very own drawer, Mary." Healer Tonks said in exasperation, walking into the drawing room and setting a Healer's bag on the table. "They read like a bad torture novel. And to be honest, I'm getting quite tired of having to add a new chapter to it each time I see you."

"Sorry." Mary pouted. "I could find another Healer if you're not comfortable treating me?"

"You'll do no such thing!" They greying woman hissed at her in indignation. "I've been your Healer since the day you were born."

Ron backed away at the woman's tone, while Hermione seemed to hold onto Mary even tighter.

"Should we leave?" Bill asked for them, knowing Mary might not be comfortable being examined with a crowd looking on.

"It's fine." Mary shrugged, holding out her injured arm. "This isn't my first rodeo."

"How you get yourself into these scrapes I'll never understand." Healer Tonks ran her wand over Mary's arm.

"I'm fine, really." Mary sighed.

Healer Tonks let out a humorless chuckle. "And I'm Celestina Warbuck."

"Can I get your autograph?" Mary retorted with a sly look.

"You can sit still while I give you this." The Healer pulled a syringe out of her robe pocket, uncapped it and stuck it in Mary's arm. "Just one more moment and I'll vanish the bones in your other arm."

"Your bedside manner needs work." Mary stuck out her tongue.

"Not as much as your sense of self-preservation." The older woman laughed heartily, waving her wand at Mary's arm.

Mary gasped in relief as her arm flopped boneless onto her lap. "It's like second year all over again."

"Wow, that stuff kicks in fast." Sirius stepped into the room.

Remus sat down in an armchair. "What happened in second year?"

"Lockhart did some wonky spell that made the bones in her arm disappear." Ron answered.

"That man was a fraud!" Hermione said in fury. "He never should have been allowed to teach in the first place."

"What happened to Lockhart?" Sirius stared at Ron in question. "Please tell me Dumbledore fired him."

"His memories disappeared." Mary whispered. "Got hit with his own Obliviate."

"Oh my." Healer Tonks shot Mary a shrewd look, looking down at the notebook that sat on her lap. "The dosage on these Muggle remedies always confuse me."

"Look," Mary pulled her arm free to flop it in a grotesque wave at the Healer. "It's all better now!"

Sirius cackled at her drunken babbling. "Not yet, kiddo."

Healer Tonks pulled a sling out of her bag. "Let me help you put this on and then I'm going to go."

"Not the sling." Mary whined. "I love you, Aunt Andy. Don't do this to me."

"You're out of luck, child." Healer Tonks chuckled, fastening the strap behind Mary's neck. "I'll check on you in the morning."

"You up for a game of chess?" Ron asked Mary.

Mary looked at the sling in distaste. "I'm regrowing bones here. I'll only play if someone helps me."

Accepting a Butterbeer from Remus, Bill sat back and watched as his Charlie and Mary played a very odd game of chess with Ron and Hermione, spending most of the game chatting quietly or planning revenge on each other.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	22. The End of Summer

**August 26th, 1994**

**Severus Snape**

His scowl was firmly in place the moment he stepped into the Headmaster's office, wondering why the old man had called him for a surprise meeting when term would be starting in two days and he was desperately trying to catch up with resupplying the Hospital Wing with potions. The task had been difficult enough before his mentor had sent him on various missions to search for the Dark Lord's whereabouts.

"Ah, Severus." Albus walked out of the side room and stood beside the fireplace. "I hope I haven't interrupted anything important."

 _Would that have stopped you?_  "I was bottling the last of the Calming Draughts for Poppy, Headmaster."

"Good, good." Albus adjusted his bright yellow headpiece. "Young Mary's guardians need to be informed of our latest findings and I hoped you would join me in the discussion."

Of course it had to deal with the Potter brat! He'd be forced to see her in just two short days, why couldn't he just have some peace and quiet before dealing with the insufferable child? "I'm not sure my presence would be conducive to any dialogue where Black and Lupin are present."

"Nonsense, my boy." Dumbledore brushed off his reluctance with the wave of a hand, holding out the jar of Floo powder. "They are both fully aware that you have Mary's best interest in mind. Shall we?"

The Headmaster stepped into the Floo and disappeared in a column of acid green flames. Severus took a deep breath and counted to ten before growling out the address to the place that housed the three people he despised most on this wretched Earth. His mouth was set in a thin line, his lips mashed tightly together so that he didn't offend the aging headmaster with his vitriol on being brought to such a place.

Lupin and Black sat at the highly polished oak table , nursing cups of tea. Black didn't acknowledge his presence and Lupin only nodded in greeting when he stepped out of the Floo.

Black stared at the old wizard with narrowed eyes. "What have you learned, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore seemed unfazed by Black's rude tone. "The men responsible for the attack at the World Cup did not do so on Voldemort's orders. If anything, they were as fearful as the rest when the Mark appeared. It seems as though they were acting of their own volition, seeking a bit of pastime by reenacting their younger days."

"The idiots were inebriated." Severus added to his statement. "No doubt they soiled themselves when the Dark Mark shown in the sky."

Black's gaze cut sharply to him. "Did your friends have fun cursing my goddaughter? Did they brag about it through the Floo? Did  _you_  laugh when they spoke of cursing innocents with Unforgivables?"

"Sirius!" Lupin hissed. "Don't start."

"It would have been entertaining to hear tales of the girl's stupidity were I not the one that has to patch her up after each idiotic escapade." He sneered back placidly, inwardly pleased to see the way Black's hackles raised. "Yet no stories have reached my ears."

Dumbledore held up a weathered hand to stave off any more outbursts of Black's temper. "Sirius, I must ask if you remember the last time you seen or heard of Barty Crouch, Jr. during your time in Azkaban."

"Junior?" Black stared at his teacup. "I remember seeing his parents pass by my cell to visit him. Though I have no clue when it was, only that he died in his cell a few days later."

"The Ministry recorded his death to be September 10th, 1982, meaning Barty Jr. survived less than a year in prison." Dumbledore mused, seemingly more to himself than anyone else. "I find this to be most disconcerting, as at the time of his trial he was young and in good health."

Black's shoulders shook like he had some kind of cold chill. "The Dementors buried him on the grounds behind the fortress. Not a comforting sight, that. Still though, can't the Ministry look into what caused his death?"

Dumbledore sighed deeply. "When I found such shocking things, I did ask around for more information. Rufus is adamant that the DMLE wanted to investigate the cause of death, but Mr. Crouch denied the request to exhume his son's body, though his response could well have been grief at losing both his wife and son within such a short frame of time. I will try to open the topic again at the next opportunity. It's of the utmost importance that we find if there is any relevance to young Mary's visions."

"She has nightmares constantly now." Lupin looked to Severus, unhindered by the look of disdain that he tried to project. "Having Ron and Hermione here has helped tremendously, if all they provide is a distraction, but still, I find that she's been avoiding sleep."

Black dragged a hand down his unshaven face. "She's in pain too. Around the full moon we've found her favoring her arm and she gets defensive if we ask her about it. Do you think the magic in the cuff is wearing off, Dumbledore?"

The Potions Master was shocked to hear that the girl had actually let her facade slip. It had become the norm to hear that the little brat was well and good, even when there was no possible way for her to be. It perplexed him on why she behaved in such a way. His Slytherins were always quick to beg for potions if they had so much as a headache, yet Potter had never requested more than she was given at initial treatment. Surely she couldn't think of Poppy as so unkind as to deny her relief from the pain, could she? Or maybe it was that idiotic Gryffindor bravado that made her feel weak to admit that she was human and felt pain like the rest of them.

As for the cuff, Severus knew the damned thing was doing far more than Dumbledore claimed it was. In fact, when she'd landed in the Headmaster's office those years ago, her arm mangled and bloody and Fawkes crying on her wounds, Severus was sure all she needed was sleep and a few strong healing potions. She'd been unconscious, but didn't show any signs of after effects of basilisk venom. Yet he followed the headmaster's orders and help him place the cuff on her arm, trusting the elder wizard knew more than he did about volatile magic. Looking back on it now made him regret his instant faith in the old man.

Dumbledore looked as though he was thinking on the most diplomatic answer, something that struck Severus as very suspicious. "While it was once an archaic artifact used to torture magical folk, the Cuff itself is Goblin made, therefore it only imbibes the properties which make it stronger. The past few months are testament to the fact that young Mary survived traumatic accidents and came out relatively unscathed. I'd not worry overly much about it failing and worry more about curbing the side effects the Cuff may cause."

"Side effects?" Black leaned forward, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I thought it was safe. You told me that it would only cut off the magic to her arm, making the basilisk venom, pheonix tears, and werewolf saliva dormant."

"Dormant is an apt term." Dumbledore said calmly, but Severus knew he was holding back as the elder wizard pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, showing them a blueprint of the device. "I'm afraid that if Mary, or anyone wishing her harm, were to find a way to remove or alter it's properties, she may not survive."

Severus flinched sharply, clearly remembering the night they placed the cuff on the girl. He could still hear the sound of her flesh being ripped apart as the sharp splines embedded into her skin. Her lifeless body thrashed and seized violently under the intrusion to her magic.

"Which is another reason for today's visit," Dumbledore continued. "While at the Ministry I looked into making sure that young Mary's use of magic at the World Cup didn't look badly in her records. I'd hate for her to be reprimanded again for use of magic while underage."

Lupin's eyes glowed slightly and his teacup shattered in his grasp, making Severus grab tightly to his wand should he need to stop the werewolf. "Mary was defending herself! The Ministry should have no reason to punish her for that!"

"Hear me out, Remus." Dumbledore said in a gentle tone. "There is no reason for alarm, as young Mary's Trace charm is no longer functioning. My theory is that she came much closer to death than we ever imagined that day in the Chamber, for the Trace only breaks when a child reaches the age of seventeen or passes away before doing so. Technically, I should have informed the Ministry of this, but the need for subtlety could work well in her advantage."

"We are not telling  _her_  that!" Black hissed at Lupin. "She already thinks she's bloody invincible! I'm not giving her leave to run amok in the world."

"I agree." Lupin nodded resolutely.

Severus nodded quickly, then realized his mistake when the twinkling eyes of Dumbledore met his. It was a stark reminder that while he had been tasked to protect the little chit, he had no say in how she was raised.

"What can we do about the Trace?" Black argued. "Wouldn't informing the Ministry help us track her down if she is taken or runs away?"

"No matter how good the ones in power are, there is no permanence in politics. If any Ministry worker can track her down, how are we to stop those also in the service of Voldemort from doing the same?" Dumbledore answered calmly. "No, it's best if Mary stays well out of the reach of the Ministry, especially considering the upcoming year."

Lupin looked reluctant to join the fray. "Are you sure that Voldemort is a threat? As it is all we have is a prophecy, nightmares, and ghost stories for evidence. Couldn't it be possible that he's gone for good?"

"He is not dead, my boy, nor has he ever been fully removed from this world. It is a reality that must be faced." Dumbledore answered quickly. "The threat is all too real and I want to leave nothing to chance."

"Who's replacing Remus?" Black asked the question that Severus had been trying to get the answer to since last term had ended.

Dumbledore shot the Potions Master a quick glance. "Alastor has agreed to teach as he is finding retirement to be wrought with too many dangers."

Black slapped the table and nodded in approval. "Good Ol' Mad -Eye! He's perfect for the job!"

Severus' blood boiled at the news of the judgmental scarred fool staying at the school for a year. "That lunatic should not be around children or civilized beings."

"Why are  _you_  here anyway?" Black turned to him with narrowed eyes.

Severus was moving to stand and curse the mongrel when the Headmaster stopped him. "I asked Severus to join me so that we may prepare for any circumstance that may arise this year. As you know, with the delegations of foreign schools visiting this, Hogwarts will be overflowing with new students and instructors alike. Among them Durmstrang's Headmaster Igor Karkaroff."

"The Death Eater?" Lupin looked to him for confirmation.

"No." Black looked furious. "Mary will not go if that maniac is there."

"Think on this, Sirius." Dumbledore mollified him. "Keeping her out of school will only alienate her from the people she cares about."

"She'll be with us." The grey eyed wizard stated resolutely. "We're the people she cares about."

"And her friends?" Dumbledore pointed out.

"He's right, Padfoot." Lupin reasoned with him. "Mary will sneak out at every opportunity. There's no way she'll stand for being locked up in this house for the year."

"We'll force her to see reason!" Black slammed his palm down on the table.

"We all know that wont work, Sirius." Lupin shook his head in resignation. "Mary's far too stubborn for that."

"So how do we keep her away from Karkaroff?" Black looked straight at him, the set of his jaw suggesting that seeking advice from Severus to be the lowest form of humiliation.

"I do not believe he will be a problem." Severus drawled out as though it wasn't a serious issue. "Igor is notoriously paranoid and cautious, he will do nothing that might jeopardize his position or put him in the Ministry's spotlight. Our main priority should be finding out who is working with the Dark Lord and how they plan to infiltrate the school."

"So basically you want us to stay here quietly while you use Mary as bait to lure out Voldemort?" Severus flinched sharply at the name, but Black continued unhindered. "Damn the consequences if she gets hurt, again?"

Dumbledore held up a hand to intervene. "We will do everything in our power to be sure she is safe, Sirius, but as Remus has said..."

"Don't act like I'm okay with this!" Lupin growled defensively, standing up and leaning toward the elder wizard with fury in his eyes. "I agree with Sirius that she isn't going to be safe there. As you well know, we're both over a barrel when it comes down to keeping her safe or letting her have a normal life."

"Potter will never have a normal life!" Severus sneered, causing Black to stand abruptly. "She was marked for death as a child! The only thing that can be done is to prepare her for the confrontations she will undoubtedly be faced with and do our best to see that they never comes to pass!"

The damned old coot's eyes twinkled at his outburst. Black and Lupin stared at him with jaws slack and open, not knowing how to respond to his admission. Severus just wanted to get back to his potions. Being in that house set him on edge, reminding him far too much of how far his life had gone off track. But worst of all was the sense of unease that did not bode well for the upcoming school year.

* * *

**August 31st, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

Ron and Hermione spent the following six days and nights in Mary's room. Although her bones had mended and her leg was fully healed, Sirius had confined her to bed rest as punishment for her stunt at the World Cup. In addition to that, he'd placed both of her wands in a padlocked safe that only he knew the combination to, effectively cutting her off from magic. It was one of those moments when she felt truly trapped and uneasy about being constantly surrounded by friends and family. While ultimately grateful for their protectiveness and support, she felt like she was constantly under a microscope, never able to do anything with out being watched. It also made research and planning the destruction of the next Horcrux bloody impossible.

Mary was exhausted, having only slept a few hours since the World Cup. Her dreams had made her reluctant to sleep and when she'd finally given in and closed her eyes her dreams quickly turned into nightmares. Nightmares that often woke her friends and left her to deal with lengthy explanations – and lies – about their content.

The night before they left for Hogwarts, Mary had yet another dream. The green light of the Killing Curse struck struck her full on, sending her spiraling down into a blinding white pit. Further and further she fell, feeling the air leaving her lungs as she screamed for anyone to help. It went on and on until her feet softly landed on the clean tiles of Platform 9 ¾. The train station looked brand new, untouched by anyone, yet there was no train in sight.

"You need to wake up, Mary." A calm recognizable voice told her.

She turned quickly to see Dumbledore standing there, smiling softly as he gestured for her to sit on the white concrete bench to his left. Her legs trembled slightly as she stepped toward him, knowing in her heart that whatever the old wizard would say would be very important to her cause, but when he opened his mouth to speak, all she heard was white noise.

"I can't hear you." Mary tried to tell him.

Dumbledore kept speaking, acting as though he hadn't heard her, while his words didn't make any sense.

"Please!" She pleaded with him. "I don't understand. I can't hear you at all!"

"Mary!" Another voice grasped her attention as the wizened old man pointed out the horrifying form of a grotesque infant like Voldemort underneath the bench in front of them.

Glowing red eyes filled with hatred bored into her own. "POTTER!"

 _No!_ She thought frantically. _I won't let you into my mind!_

Mary's vision went dark and the next thing she knew, someone or something had grasped her shoulders and was shaking her forcefully. She thrashed against them, breaking their hold on her and scrambled back and away until she felt they could no longer reach her.

A lamp flickered to life and Hermione's worried face stared down at her in concern. "Mary? Are you okay?"

Heart still pounding against her rib cage, she took a shaky breath and nodded, trying to compose herself. "I'm fine."

"You're bloody well not fine!" Ron stood up to stand next to Hermione. "You threw me off the effing bed and screamed like a banshee!"

Hermione's mouth was set in a grim line. "Your nightmares are getting worse. I think you might need to talk to someone. I don't know if the Wizarding World has therapists, but I'm sure going to a Muggle one wouldn't be unheard of. You really can't think of going on like this, Mary, you're barely sleeping as it is. Honestly, I'm going to go get Sirius and see if we can find a solution."

"No!" Mary jumped to her feet, grabbing her friend's arm to stop her. "Really, 'Mione, I'm okay. I've had nightmares for years and survived just fine."

"You are not okay!" Hermione hissed, pulling her arm free. "You've had nightmares every night we've been here! I've caught you up and reading at four in the morning at least four times this week. So not only are you suffering, but you're losing sleep and it's affecting your health!"

"Will you shut up!" Mary growled out, glancing at the closed door to make sure that they weren't going to wake up the whole house. "Sirius is already ready to lock me in this room and keep me from going back to Hogwarts! Do you want to give him one more reason to trap me in this safe little tower? Do you want to be the one that denies me an education?"

"No!" Hermione cried out. "I don't want that! I just want you to be okay."

Mary took a few steps toward them. "I'll be okay, guys, really. We've all been through a lot over the past few years and I'm dealing with it as best as I can. I just need you two to support me and let me handle things at my own pace."

"You've got a month." Ron crossed his arms and kicked the covers with his bare foot. "If you're still screaming like a nutter at night, we'll be writing Sirius and Remus. And if they pull you from school, we'll just have to visit you everyday after class."

A relieved laugh bubbled up in her throat. "Thanks, Ron. That means a lot."

"Can we please go back to sleep now?" Ron pleaded with them. "Mum's going to be here at eight and I have to have a few hours of sleep before she starts in on me."

"Sure." Mary helped Hermione fix the covers. "Sorry about waking you up."

"Don't." Hermione glared at her. "Just keep your promise."

Mary nodded – walking to the loo to get cleaned up - thinking that technically she hadn't promised them anything. Ron's threat was only valid if they found out she was still having nightmares. Once she was back at Hogwarts she could put a Silencing Charm and privacy spells on her bed hangings, they'd never know if she was having a nightmare or not.

The face in the mirror looked at her in stark mocking vividness. Dark circles stood out underneath her eyes, cheeks sallow and sunken as though she'd skipped one meal too many framed a mouth with chapped lips that bled were she'd bitten into them.

 _I look like shite._  Mary mused, looking down to splash cold water onto her face.  _I really need to learn to brew Sleeping Potions soon._

But how could she just get over the fact that the future of her friends and newly found family rested solely on her shoulders? Every mistake could be costly. Every change she made could spell out a future far worse than she imagined. And what if she failed? What if she couldn't destroy the Horcruxes before Voldemort took over?

Mary returned from the washroom, to see that Hermione was awake and sitting on the large bed with a book in her hands and the lamp on, while Ron was curled up on the other side, snoring loudly. She crossed her arms, trying to quell the bone deep ache that worsened each day as the full moon approached.

"Enjoying the symphony?" Mary quirked a brow at her, trying to wipe the oppression from her face.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's distracting."

Mary crawled up between them and pulled the covers up, ready to fake sleep until it was a decent hour and she could escape into the more solitary areas of the house.

Hermione leaned toward her, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How did you know Ireland would win, but Krum would catch the Snitch?"

Mary covered her mouth to hide her smirk at her friend's observational skills. "Observation and strategy. Krum is by far the better Seeker, but Ireland's chasers are near unstoppable."

The bushy haired girl's mouth opened in shock. "That's it?! Ron's been running around claiming you have Seer blood. He's adamant that there is no way you could have known the outcome otherwise. And the whole time it's just been  _Quidditch strategy_?"

Mary shook her head in amusement. "If I was a Seer, I'd at least use the gift to stay out of trouble, not forecast Quidditch."

"That makes sense actually." Hermione giggled quietly and set her book down on the side table. "Goodnight, Mary."

"Night, 'Mione." Mary whispered as the lights went out, leaving the room in complete darkness.

It didn't take long before both of her friends were sound asleep, leaving Mary awake and very much alone with her thoughts. Borrowing Hermione's wand, she cast a clock spell that revealed it was just after five in the morning. Another spell silenced the area around the bed, leaving Mary free to finish packing her truck and get ready for the day without waking her friends.

Her head pounded furiously behind her eyes, setting her teeth on edge and making her vision blur. The aches and pains had become so normal that she couldn't remember what it was like to actually feel good. The rough patches of scarred skin on her arm itched in a way that made her long to claw off her own flesh. Even in the dim light of the small lamp Mary could see the grotesque shadows off the raised skin, knowing full well that the pain would always be there and the scars would never fade.

An hour later, Mary stepped out of her room to see Kreacher mopping hallway.

His large eyes peer up at her in scrutiny. "Young Miss is feeling better?"

"I'm fine." She shrugged. "What would you like for breakfast, Kreacher?"

Kreacher narrowed his eyes at her. "Dobby is to be making breakfast. Old Master says that you are to not be helping. That you are to be counting sheep."

"Can you summon sheep, Kreacher?" Mary leaned down toward him. "I have an idea."

The wrinkly elf smiled in a sinister manner. "Anything for young Miss."

"Let Dobby sleep in." Mary winked at him. "I have breakfast covered."

Cooking breakfast for the Dursleys had always been a chore that she'd enjoyed, mainly due to the fact that she could sneak bites of food easily while they were still asleep. The simple task of making bangers and eggs at Grimmauld Place was quite simply blissful. With her mind set on a set task, everything else just easily floated into the background, giving her a few peaceful moments to simply be.

Remus walked into the kitchen just a little after seven, his dressing gown on inside out and tied haphazardly on the side. "You're up early."

Mary put a mug and saucer on the table and poured him a fresh cup of tea. "The elves at Hogwarts would be appalled if I tried to use their kitchen, so I figured this was my last chance to cook for a while."

"Uh." He murmured incoherently, pulling the plate of toast closer.

Before he could even take a bite, a large brown owl flew into the kitchen and skidded across the table until it came to a halt right in front of Moony's plate.

"Everything okay?" Mary plucked Errol off the table and set him up with an owl treat and bowl of water, casting a glance over her shoulder to where Remus was reading through the letter with narrowed eyes.

"Molly is sending the kids over and asks that we get them to the Station." Moony shrugged, stuffing the letter back in the envelope. "Apparently Arthur and the rest of the Ministry are scrambling to prove that the security at the World Cup was more than adequate and that they weren't at fault for the attacks."

Mary thought back to the stacks of paperwork that littered throughout every nook and crevice in the Burrow and knew that poor Mrs. Weasley had her work cut out for her. With a new mission in sight, Mary set to making a larger batch of breakfast foods, knowing that the incoming crowd could easily out-eat an army.

* * *

**September 1st, 1994**

**Charlie Weasley**

The shrill sound of the alarm spell sounded loudly in his ears, waking him from a deep and restful sleep. Casting the spell to stop it, Charlie sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to catch his bearings. Unlike the past few mornings, there was no smell of bacon frying to lure him out of bed. It was something that seemed quite unlikely considering it was just after six in the morning of September 1st, usually Mum was already up and cooking. The bright orange paint of Ron's room seemed to glow in the first morning light, burning into his retinas and making him regret emerging from bed. Still though, he had chosen to take his vacation from work to spend time with his family, and he didn't want to waste it sleeping in.

"Charlie?" A soft voice asked from the other side of the door. "Are you awake?"

"Not really." He chuckled, casting a spell that opened the door. "Mornin', Gin."

She stepped into the room, her bright red hair a mess and looking like something a Bowtruckle would live in. "Mum's on the fritz trying to help dad with work. She wants us to go over to Mary's after we get our stuff together."

Still half asleep, Charlie scratched his head. "I'm not going back to Hogwarts."

"No shite, old man." His sister deadpanned. "Mum just wants you and Bill to see us to the station. You don't really have to, just drop us off at Grimmauld Place, we'll make it from there."

Rubbing his eyes, Charlie shooed her out of the room. "I'll be ready in five. Get everyone ready and downstairs. Tell Bill that he owes me a bottle of Hogdens.."

"Sure." Ginny rolled her eyes and went back down the stairs calling out; "Charlie still sleeps with a teddy bear and sucks his thumb!"

Fred stuck his head out of the third floor doorway at the sound of her loud voice. "Not our fierce dragon handler!"

"He wouldn't dare!" George yelled back mockingly.

"Quiet!" Bill hushed them, stepping out of the washroom. "Mum's on a rampage and you are  _not_  going to ruin my last bit of holiday by getting her stirred up."

Closing the door, Charlie quickly dressed in the closest things he could find, wondering if there was anything he could do to help his parents. Tucking an unlit cigarette behind his ear for later, he stepped out into the normal chaos of his family home.

"Cast a shrinking charm on our trunks, brother dear." Fred asked Bill, hopping on one foot while putting his socks on.

Bill quickly shrunk the three trunks and winced when his stomach growled loudly, glancing at Charlie with a disgruntled look. "Think we have enough sickles to get this lot breakfast?"

Charlie knew that he had a small amount of coins saved up and nodded quickly. "I've got it covered."

Mum rounded the corner holding a stack of parchment as she headed toward the Floo. Seeing them all standing there haphazard and looking quite miserable, she set the papers on the table and pulled the younger kids into a quick hug. "Be good. No pranks, Fred, George, and keep an eye on your brothers and sisters."

"There's only one of me." Ginny groused, crossing her arms.

"I was speaking of Mary and Hermione, dear." Mum patted her cheek. "You keep an eye on Ronald and give him a hug for me. Tell him that his dress robes are packed in his trunk. Bill, give Remus my thanks and tell him I'll reimburse him for the food later."

Dad's head popped up in the grate and he smiled around at them. "Morning, everyone! Sorry about all this. Molly dear, will you grab the tome off my desk labeled :  **International Cooperation Guide**? Amos has misplaced his copy."

Mum waved her wand in the air, causing a huge leather bound book to fly into the kitchen. She picked up the stack of papers and let out a loud huff, shaking her head and muttering about the stupidity of reporters. "Move aside, Arthur, I'm coming through." She said before throwing a pinch of powder into the grate. "I could strangle that Skeeter woman."

"Food?" Bill asked Ginny. "Where?"

Ginny giggled. "You sound like Ron. Dobby and Kreacher are getting breakfast ready."

"Got everything?" Charlie asked them, handing them each their trunks and a pinch of green powder.

The twins and Ginny disappeared moments later in a tower of emerald flames, leaving himself and Bill to follow. He stepped out of the Floo moments later to find that the large dining room smelled wonderful and platters of food lined the table. Remus sat at the far end reading the Prophet and picking at a piece of toast.

"Come on in and have a seat." Remus said kindly, folding the paper and setting it aside. "Ron and Hermione should be down soon."

Mary walked in holding a tray of croissants and a pot of tea, smiling brightly when she spotted them. "Morning, Weasleys!"

George plucked the tray from her hand while Fred grabbed the kettle. "Morning, Mary!"

"Gred, Forge." Mary hugged them quickly. "You have perfect timing. I've just finished the cooking."

"I thought the elves were cooking." Ginny chimed in, looking at the fantastic spread in wariness. "Is this edible?"

"I've sent Dobby and Kreacher on errands." Mary answered in an offended tone. "And you'll just have to find out for yourself if it's edible, now wont you?"

Gin grimaced and sat down. "No offense but Sirius didn't help cook it, did he?"

Remus and Mary both choked down their laughter and Remus smiled over at Ginny kindly. "Sirius is no longer allowed in the kitchen."

"Good." Ginny nodded and started serving food onto her plate, looking relieved.

"Food ready?" Ron groused, looking half awake as he stumbled down the steps.

"Come on you lot." Bill waved them on. "Get started, it's going to be a long morning. Thank you, Mary, it looks wonderful."

Mary smirked at Ginny and stuck her tongue out, making his sister shake her head.

They'd barely started eating when shrill screams echoed throughout the large house making Bill and Charlie jump to their feet. Bill pushed the other kids back as they made their way to the stairs, following closely on Remus' heels. Fred and George had their arms out, holding Ron, Hermione and Ginny back while Mary put her head on her folded arms and laughed so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Keep them here." Charlie ordered the twins.

Ginny turned to Mary in shock, wand held tightly in her hand. "What's up with you?"

Mary opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't get out a single word, collapsing into another fit of laughter as the high girlish screams sounded again. Her outburst had Charlie reeling in confusion and he was unsure if he should go to help Sirius or make sure that Mary was okay.

"Sheep!" Sirius yelped from the top of the stairs. "Sheep in my room! Oh my, get out of that!"

"Mary Jane!" Remus yelled from the landing, making Mary laugh even harder. "Call them off before they eat your godfather!"

Bill and Charlie sat back down, tucking into their breakfast with a gusto, knowing that it was just more insanity spewing forth from close proximity to the Marauders. Charlie knew that this was just Mary's way to let loose and have fun before going back to school and it looked like she really needed it.

Kreacher popped into the room, a wide smile on his face, his long nose in the air. "Kreacher enjoyed that."

Mary patted the old elf's shoulder. "Did you get it?"

He handed her the set of Omnioculars with a toothy grin. "All of it, Young Miss."

Mary watched through the lenses as the scene played back, a smile tugging on her lips, making Charlie wonder what she had done. As though she sensed his gaze, she looked up and handed him the Omnioculars. "You have to see it."

He took a drink of his tea and accepted them, watching in amusement as the scene started with Sirius sleeping peacefully in his bed, totally unaware that there was small herd of sheep lined up, bounding from one side of his room to the other, until one of the sheep started chewing and tugging at his pillow. Sirius swatted at the air and opened his eyes, blinking at the sheep staring at him.

"Baaa." It said to him.

"Ahhh!" Sirius screamed, pulling his covers up.

"Baaa." The sheep bleated together, suddenly very interested in Sirius and surrounding his bed.

One bold young ram hopped up on the bed and began to bounce on the thick mattress, clearly thrilled at finding such a wonderful invention, making Sirius topple onto the floor, where he was immediately sniffed and taste tested by the other fluffy creatures.

Charlie choked on his tea and sputtered as he handed the Omnioculars to Bill. Mary sipped her tea primly, looking every bit innocent and harmless, except for her bright green eyes that were twinkling with mischief.

Sirius sprinted into the room, looking bedraggled, his sleeves and hair chewed up. "Mary Jane Potter! How in the name of Helga's left tit do we get rid of those rabid beasts? We've tried everything and they won't go away!"

"I want my wands back." Mary stared him straight in the eyes. "I can't go to school without them."

"You can wait until we're at the station." Sirius said after a moment.

"But how will I get rid of the sheep from there?" She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

Remus stepped in, looking no better than Sirius had and pulled the small wooden chest from the mantle, tapping his wand on the lid. "No trouble making."

"I'll cause no more trouble than the Marauders did at my age." Mary argued, quickly placing her wands in their holsters. "It'd go against the code if I did any more or less."

"That's what scares me." Remus responded with a sigh. "Just get rid of the damned sheep already."

Mary smiled tightly and tapped her fingers on the table. "All gone."

Remus left the room with narrowed eyes, Sirius following him at a slower pace. Fred and George leaned forward, dewy eyed looks plastered on their faces, begging Mary to let them in on the secret to how she pulled it off, but she just shook her head, saying that a true master never revealed their sources. While the morning started off lighthearted and fun, things started to slowly decline from there, leaving everyone in a tense state.

There was something in Mary's stance and attitude that didn't sit right with Charlie. She looked like one of the dragons that they'd had to relocate, ready to snap and snarl at anyone that got too close. He guessed that he was far too used to seeing her stoic and ready to tackle anything, that this new sense of defensiveness and unease made him wary. Sirius must have sensed it too, as he was the one that looked ready to pull her back into the house and keep her locked up there.

"Bye, Charlie." Ginny hugged him tightly and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Be good, Gin." He told her. "Keep this lot in line."

"I'll try." She chuckled, letting go of his hand and stepping onto the train.

He cast a sly spell at the twins, that made their hair glow like orange bulbs, and then moved to stand by Remus and Sirius. Bill was speaking to Ron in hushed tones and then hugged the younger boy quickly, earning himself a groan of embarrassment.

The whistle blew again and Bill pushed Ron towards the train, stopping to grab Mary's arm and pull her into a hug. The look of surprise on her face caught Charlie off guard, almost like she hadn't expected it at all. He'd thought that his family had made it very clear to her that she was one of them, but apparently she wasn't quite convinced. Bill whispered something and Mary bit her lip and nodded before extracting herself from his grasp and hopping onto the train.

"She okay?" Charlie asked when Bill walked over to where the adults stood.

Bill nodded sharply, not taking his eyes off the train. "It's going to be an interesting year for all of them. Makes me wish I could be there too."

Charlie looked at his older brother, wondering what was running through the Curse Breaker's mind. "Me too."

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	23. A Long Flight

**September 1st ,1994**

**Mary Potter**

Mary found Fred and George's cabin easily enough, you could hear the commotion from the other end of the train. Hermione and Ron both argued with her decision to track them down, but gave in when Mary said that she only intended to check in with Katie about who was team captain. All of her plans for a few minutes alone went out of the window when Ron and Hermione insisted on following her everywhere.

"Come with us, Mary," Hermione grabbed her arm. "We'll find a compartment further down and you can take a nap, I know you didn't sleep last night. I told Sirius and Professor Lupin that I'd make sure you'd sleep for a few hours on the way to Hogwarts and I'm sure all of us could use a small nap considering we've been woken at all times by your nightmar-"

Mary sucked in a breath, ready to tell Hermione off for blurting out something so private on a train full of people, but Ron saved her.

Ron pulled Hermione's hand off Mary's arm, looking into the compartment window. "They've got room for a few more."

The door slid open and Fred and George smiled in a way that made Mary wonder what they were up to. "Sis!"

They dragged her into the compartment, closing and locking the door behind them, leaving Ron and Hermione stuck outside. Angelina looked up from behind her magazine and laughed. "Hiya, Mary, have a good summer?"

The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team ignored Hermione's incessant knocking on the door, and Mary would have felt a little bad about leaving them out there - mainly Ron - thanks to Hermione's non-stop badgering, had they at least spared her a few moments of peace.

She flicked a silencing spell toward the door and felt a pang at the thought of Ron getting an ear lashing from Hermione.

"Great!" Mary exclaimed, glaring as George shook his head in disagreement. "Nothing worth mentioning."

"I'm going to act like I didn't hear that." Katie set her Ancient Runes textbook down on the bench. "You spent over a week hanging out with Viktor Krum. That isn't nothing."

"Yeah," Alicia butted in. "Spill, Mary."

"There's nothing to tell," Mary held her hands up as a sign of surrender. "Honestly, we just talked about Quidditch and school."

"Really?" George leaned back in his seat.

Fred echoed his brother on the other side of her. "Do we need to have a talk with him?"

"Where's Lee?" Mary questioned instead. "I thought he was the third part to your trio."

"Uh uh," Katie shook her head. "Oliver was beside himself that he'd already graduated and wouldn't be able to be here to quiz you about Krum. So he made sure to tell me to inform you that if you're spending time with a professional Seeker, you better be learning strategy and tactics."

"And then some." Alicia waggled her eyebrows.

Angelina laughed, clapping her hands. "I'll say."

"We don't want to hear this." Fred and George said in unison as they reached over Mary to cover each others ears.

"Seriously though," Katie pulled a face. "Did McGonagall send any of you a letter? Usually we know who our captain is by now."

"Not me." The others echoed as they shook their heads looking confused.

And then they assumed wrong when Mary said nothing. "It's you?"

"Oh, hell no!" Mary lurched forward. "Look guys, you can't tell anybody about this. I overheard Sirius and Ludo Bagman talking last week. The reason they haven't sent out captain's badges this year is because there's not going to be any Quidditch."

"What?" Fred sat forward with his hands clasped.

"Why the hell not?" Katie asked.

Mary swallowed hard. "Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament."

The rest leaned back in their seats in total silence as though they didn't believe their ears.

"Are you sure?" Alicia tilted her head to the side. "The Ministry hasn't held one of those since the 1800s."

"1792." Mary added in a quiet tone, willing the aching pain behind her scar to go away.

"Against which schools?" Angelina whispered, glancing at the door and back to Mary.

"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang." She replied in a whisper.

"But no Quidditch?" Alicia stared at her, appalled at the news. "That's ridiculous!"

Mary improvised best she could. "Apparently they're using the pitch for one of the tasks."

"They better not ruin it!" Katie clenched her fists. "We really could have used the practice time to train Ron for Keeper."

"I'm entering!" Fred yelled suddenly.

"Same." George nodded, looking to Fred who smiled widely.

Mary shook her head and interrupted their gleeful rant by standing up. "They've changed the bylaws. You have to be seventeen to enter. It's the only way my godfather agreed to let me attend Hogwarts this year."

"That's rubbish!" George hissed angrily.

"Complete sabotage!" Fred nodded in agreement.

"I propose we still practice Quidditch whenever we can. We don't want to be out of shape." Katie stared at her teammates in a silent plea, then looked down at the tiny shrunken broomstick in her hand. "I know I could use the flying practice too. Otherwise I might as well throw this in the tip. I won't know how to use it if I have to wait another year."

Mary stayed quiet, sitting back down and letting her teammates discuss the tournament while she leaned her head against the cool glass, trying her best not worry.

"Well," Alicia sighed, "any ideas on what we should do?"

Angelina shook her head as she pulled her own miniature broomstick out of her pocket. "I'm getting a bit rusty too."

"Can't have that, love," Fred put an arm around her shoulders in a playful manner as he worked to open the window to their compartment.

"We can slip it," George said confidently as he eyed the large opening.

"Easy," Fred agreed.

Mary groaned and shook her head. "What on earth are you two up to?"

"Well, sis," George knelt down beside her. "Gred and I are climbing out of that window. You can follow if you've got the guts for it."

"Why in seven hells are you climbing out the window?" Alicia asked, trying to push her way past the twins to shut said window.

George started, "We're going to fly -"

"-to Hogwarts!" Fred finished with a flourish of his hands.

"I've done that." Mary sighed, remembering the poor Ford Anglia. "I don't recommend it."

"I'm with her." Katie nodded, pointing at Mary with wide eyes.

"What are they going to do, banish us from Quidditch for the year?" Angelina rolled her eyes. "I say let's go for it."

Fred dropped to his knees in front of her, holding a hand to his heart. "Forge, I think I'm in love."

Flashes of a past that wasn't her own assaulted her brain, making Mary grimace as the declaration echoed both what should have been and what never had the chance to really be. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but still the sight of George staring in shock at Fred's lifeless body was burned into her eyelids, leaving her feeling broken and useless.

"I'm in," Mary turned around quickly, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her robe as she reached into the overhead compartment and pulled the tiny Firebolt out of her rucksack.

Alicia stood up. "How about we go to the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw cars first and see if they want to join us as a sign of solidarity and protest over missing out on Quidditch for a year?"

"Now that's an idea I can get behind." Katie stood as well and returned her broom to its regular size.

"How about we fly to their windows instead?" Angelina smiled brightly, "At least then they wouldn't be thinking that we were trying to prank them."

"I like it!" Katie clapped her hands.

"We have to get Lee first." Fred added.

"He wouldn't miss it." George finished in a serious tone.

"We'll stay with the train?" Katie gave them all a serious look. "No serious stunts that could end up with any of expelled and next year's team on the outs?"

Mary copied Fred's stance and put her hand to her heart in mock shock. "Don't all of you stare at me! It's not my fault!"

Alicia laughed and tapped her wand to her broom, causing it to go back to normal size. "How about we all fly around Mary in a protective formation?"

George patted his potential girlfriend's shoulder and shook his head in sympathy. "Don't antagonize her. We'll need everyone with a broom to protect poor Mary here."

"Hey now!" Mary tapped her Firebolt with her wand. "I'll remember that Georgy!"

The six of them stood in the compartment staring at the window for a whole two seconds before George dove out, climbing quickly onto the roof. A pale hand shot down and Angelina gasped and backed away, but Alicia stood on the bench seat and climbed out the same way George had, grabbing his hand and letting him help her onto the top of the train. One by one they waited until there was only Mary and Fred left.

"Go ahead," Mary held a hand toward the window.

"That's a hell no, sis," Fred shook his head. "I'm staying back to make sure you make it up there safely. Just imagine the Prophet's headline:  _ **Mary Potter dies by falling from train window!**_ "

Mary let out a breath. "They'd have a record sales day. Might even ask my teammates to autograph it."

"You don't have to go," Fred added in a softer tone, "none of us will judge you if you don't want to."

"Screw that," Mary ground her teeth together, stepping onto the seat and crawled into the window sill, then turned to look back at Fred. "If I die out here, I'm going to haunt you all."

"I'll look forward to it." Fred held her hand and squeezed it tightly.

Mary smiled brightly and finished crawling onto the top of the train. The wind whipped around her and her teammates were all struggling to keep in place as the train continued to gain speed. Fred was up and with them within a few seconds, his red hair plastered to the side of his face as he ducked and scrambled over to his twin.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Angelina screamed over the roar of the wind, holding onto the roof of the train for dear life.

Alicia was practically laying down, clutching her broom. "Doesn't feel like it!"

"It never does!" Mary yelled back, closing her eyes once more and feeling the wind rush over her face.

Her firebolt laid on the flat black surface of the cabin's roof and she rolled onto it, gently guiding it into the air. A laugh escaped her lips as she effortlessly glided above the train, feeling more in control of the situation now that she was on her broom. She looked back to see the others following suit and mounting their brooms. A half minute later the entire team was in the air. They flew in sync weaving and dodging the tree limbs that scattered the tracks, staying as close to the train as possible. And then the wind shifted. All of them scrambled as the cloud of white smoke and steam was pelted directly toward them.

"Go higher!" Katie urged them.

A straight path showed just above the ridge and they all sighed in relief that they would be able to fly above and around the train with no surprises cropping up.

"Now's the time to get the others!" Angelina called out. "How about Hufflepuff first?"

"You go there and I'll get Ravenclaw!" Alicia called back diving toward the windows of the train and slowing her broom to peer inside.

Katie pulled her broom up beside Fred's. "What about Slytherin?"

"What about them?" He looked at her in curiosity.

"I'll get them." Mary sighed. "I have the fastest broom and I can easily dodge their hexes."

Katie grimaced, but Mary angled her broom down to where the Slytherin cabin was in the front of the train, hoping that she wouldn't need to use her wand. She was confident in using her Firebolt with one hand, but it was more difficult to use both her wand and her broom at the same time.

She pulled back to slow her speed as she neared the compartment's window. With a tap of her knuckles on the glass, she effectively scared Pansy Parkinson into jumping into Daphne's lap. Millicent rolled her eyes, stood and quickly opened the window.

"What do you want, Potter?" The tall girl asked in a gruff voice. "And what in Salazar's name are you doing out there?"

"We're all flying to Hogwarts to protest Quidditch being cancelled for the year," Mary shrugged her shoulders and stretched her Muggle hand toward where now twenty or more people were flying around beside the train. "All of you well trained on a broom are welcome to join us."

"Trying to get yourself killed, Potter?" Malfoy strutted toward the window. "The term hasn't even started yet."

Mary clenched her jaw and looked back at Millicent. "Spread the word to any Slytherins that want to fly to Hogwarts, Milli."

Not waiting for the other girl to respond, and knowing that the message was in great hands, Mary angled her broom at the midday sky and flew straight towards it, not holding back on her Firebolt's speed or capability. The clouds were getting darker and more ominous as the train rode on, but the large group of Quidditch players had flown in worse and weren't deterred by a little wind or rain. Eventually, Millicent, Montague, Warrington, and even Malfoy joined the fray.

Mary could both see and hear the students on the train as they opened their windows and shouted up to the members of their house team who flew around high fiving random passengers. They flanked the train, flying in straight lines along either side of the Hogwarts Express as it steadily made its way towards Hogsmeade station. There was no competition or rivalry, even among the Slytherins, and they all simply enjoyed the ride.

Mary felt like she'd flown through a hurricane as she landed her broom on the roof of the train hours later. Diggory had called a halt to their flight when lightning began lighting up the evening sky and hail pelted them from above. The train whistled had blown twice signalling their arrival at the station and all them scrambled to get back inside where it was warm and dry. The second they slipped into the compartment windows, drying charms were vigorously used and students hustled to straighten their robes.

All in all it was well worth it.

Angelina turned around after pulling on her robe, staring at Mary for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Mary your hair looks like really wild."

Mary turned to see her reflection in the window and grimaced as she quickly pulled it up into a suitable bun and pulled her hood up to cover the haphazard job she'd done. "Better?"

"So much better." Angelina smiled, reaching up to grab her bag from the upper compartment. "Need me to get your's?"

"Sure." Mary focused on making sure her tie was straight.

Fred slid the compartment door open with a guilty smile on his face. "Just a heads up, ladies. McGonagall is on the platform and she looks ready to breathe fire."

Mary stared at her feet as she shuffled along behind her teammates along the long corridor of the train. It felt like she was walking to her own beheading. McGonagall had become an aunt of sorts to her and the thought of disappointing someone she respected so much felt like a kick in the chest. She was trying to do better, but sometimes her impulse control was next to nothing. Sure she could have stayed back alone in the Gryffindor compartment, or she could have gone and found Hermione and Ron, but she didn't think of that at the time. Regretting things wasn't something she was fond of, and no matter how much trouble she would end up in later, she couldn't find a single ounce of regret in herself for what she actually did, only in upsetting Professor McGonagall.

Mary grabbed Angelina's hand as they stepped off the train. "Together."

"Together." Alicia echoed, grabbing her other hand.

One by one, those that had dared to mount their brooms and fly linked hands - or arms - and exited last from the Hogwarts Express. Draco Malfoy was kind of forced into it by Millicent who had joined them in the stormy skies by commandeering Adrian Pucey's broom.

The wind and rain whipped around them and the released each other's hands so they could secure the hoods on their heads and protect their trunks from the watery assault. McGonagall stood tall and ominous under the streetlight, her wand held high as she cast an umbrella charm over herself.

"Follow me." She said simply, turning and marching up the path.

"What about the carriages?" Malfoy's voice echoed over the din.

A loud  _'oompf'_  could be heard and Mary turned to see Malfoy rubbing his ribs and Millicent looking quite pleased with herself. They trudged up the long winding path to the school, slipping and sliding on the slick stones. No more words were spoken, and as Mary looked around at her fellow rule-breakers, she realized that they were all just as anxious as she was to find out what their punishment would be.

The first shock was that they weren't going to the main entrance hall. They instead went in via a side door on the first floor near the Muggle Studies classrooms.

"Leave your belongings here." McGonagall didn't even bother turning around, just kept her back to them as they piled their stuff next to the large wooden doors.

 _At least we're out of the weather._  Mary told herself, trying to find a silver lining amongst the dung heap that they'd landed themselves in. None of them dared used magic to dry off, not wanting to be berated by the Deputy Headmistress. Instead they squished and squeaked along the corridor with their soaking robes and waterlogged shoes.

What felt like hours later they arrived in an unused classroom on the ground floor. It was large and clean, but wholly empty of any furnishings.

"You are to wait here until I return for you." McGonagall said finally. "You are not to leave. You are not to cause any chaos whatsoever. You are here to think about the foolish act you've committed while I go and get our incoming first years Sorted. There is a washroom in the back. Do make yourselves presentable."

A collective groan of relief was exhaled when the large wooden door closed behind her with a heavy click.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Katie moaned, casting another drying spell on her robes and shoes.

"What's the worst they can do?" Millicent said in a bored tone.

"Expel us." Cedric answered, sitting down on the stone floor.

"Ban us from Quidditch for the rest of our time at Hogwarts." Katie sat down heavily.

"Detention with Filch for the rest of the year." Ricket put his head in his hands. "I've never had detention before."

"Detention with Snape for the rest of the year." "Roger Davies shook his head in dismay. "He hates me already."

"Detention with Hagrid for the rest of the year." Cho Chang piped in, inching closer to Cedric's side. "I hear he still has a few hippogriffs in the paddock."

Malfoy and a few others shuddered dramatically.

"They could write our families." Maxine O'Flaherty - the beater from Hufflepuff - sighed. "My mum's going to be furious."

"We can handle Howlers." Fred and George said together.

"Why'd I even go up there?" Grant Page groaned loudly. "I hate all of you."

They all sat on the cold stone floor in contemplative silence after that. It wasn't until half an hour later that four trays of finger sandwiches and pitchers of pumpkin juice popped into existence in the middle of the room. A few of the more paranoid flyers jumped back in surprise, but those that were used to living in magical households were barely bothered by food showing up at random.

"The house elves remembered us!" Fred exclaimed loudly.

"Love us they do." George swatted his brother's shoulder playfully and dove for the tray.

Their spirits were bolstered by the food alone and Mary knew that things couldn't have been too bad if the professors were feeding them. If McGonagall was as furious as she looked, she would have expelled them straight away and sent them home for dinner.

The sandwiches were great, but Mary could barely take two bites before her nerves got the better of her and her appetite retreated completely. Instead she sipped at her paper cup filled with pumpkin juice, observing the people around her.  _Where would their loyalties lie when the world turned upside down? Would they still be able to sit in a room with each other and eat a meal? Who would live and who would die?_  Mary shook her head to break out of those dire thoughts. Focus was something she had less and less of each day. She never really knew if she was doing the right thing.  _What if she failed and messed everything up? Who would pay the price for her arrogant mistakes?_

The door opened an hour later and professor Dumbledore walked in, a frown on his face those his eyes twinkled slightly. "It's quite a shame that you all missed the Welcoming Feast. The Hogwarts elves truly outdid themselves this year. As well, you missed some very important announcements. I will not keep you any longer, as I'm sure you're housemates will be very vocal in updating you on the upcoming events and new rules in place."

Everyone stood up in shock, sure this had to be some kind of ruse. They weren't going to be punished?

"Ah, yes," Professor Dumbledore sighed, reaching into his pocket and producing a small bag of lemon drops. "Professor McGonagall will be expecting each of you in her office tomorrow after dinner. Your parents and guardians have already been informed of what happened this evening, so you will be writing to your families explaining to them the dangerous of what you did. As such, the Quidditch season has been banned in light of the Triwizard Tournament. Professor McGonagall will take possession of your brooms until she feels you understand the ramifications of your actions."

Everyone gasped, but had more respect for the aging Headmaster than to interrupt him.

"And now, I must wish you all a very good night and urge you to hurry back to your dormitories." Professor Dumbledore flicked his wand and the time glowed brightly mid-air. "Curfew is in half-an hour and classes start first thing in the morning. Lemon drop anyone?"

The Headmaster held the small bag out and moved out of the way. Each and every person that went by smiled and thanked him as they walked past, but Mary noticed that very few actually grabbed a sweet. She grabbed three, popping them into her mouth and ducking her head before Professor Dumbledore could make eye contact with her.

Things between them had been neutral at best since his last visit to Grimmauld Place. He didn't contact her, and she felt no need to contact him. In fact, the less they were around each other the better. Her skill in occlumency was fairly decent, but someone with Dumbledore's power could easily break into her mind to obtain the knowledge she had, and that wasn't something she ever wanted to happen.

They made it up to the portrait of the Fat Lady in record time.

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked in a bored tone.

"They didn't give it to us." Katie answered politely. "Come on, you know who we are."

"Very strict policy this year, child." The Fat Lady rolled her eyes. "No password. No entry."

"Well this sucks." Angelina sighed.

Just then the portrait swung forward violently, making the Fat Lady squeal in terror.

Lee Jordan stumbled out and launched himself toward Fred and George. "You're here! Come on, everyone's talking about you!"

They followed Lee into Gryffindor Tower and were immediately accosted by cheers and screams of delight. Mary ducked and dodged, but when the other students began peppering her with questions about the flight, and their subsequent punishment, she lightened up and began to enjoy the moment, seeing that her teammates fared no better. That is until Hermione got a hold of her.

"What on earth were you thinking, Mary?" Hermione screeched, pulling her away from Lavender and Parvati. "You could have been injured, or worse!"

"I'm fine." Mary assured her, looking to Ron for help, but found none when he shook his head and looked away. "I'm sorry, Ron. It was to protest Quidditch being cancelled. It was done in the cause of solidarity and school spirit."

"That's a load of bull and you know it!" Hermione pointed out, crossing her arms. "And I hope you have a better story to tell Sirius and Remus."

Mary shrugged, not thinking much of it. "They won't mind."

Ron grimaced and put a hand to his forehead. "Good luck with that."

Mary looked from Ron to Hermione in confusion, her heart dropping to her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"Hermione may have used your mirror to call them while you were out flying." Ron squeaked out. "She may have let them watch some of it."

Mary groaned loudly, holding out her hand. "My mirror, now."

Hermione handed it over, looking far from guilty. "I promised to look out for you and I don't go back on my word."

Mary shook her head, pocketing the mirror as she took the stairs to the girls dorm two at time. She flung the door open, running to her bed and closing the curtains around her. Best to just get it over with. It didn't do anyone any good to let things fester. She'd learned that the hard way. Damage control was easiest when done quickly.

"Siri," Mary whispered to the mirror, almost hoping they wouldn't answer.

"Mary!" Sirius' smiling face beamed back at her almost instantly. "We've been waiting for your call."

"Got held up in limbo while Dumbledore and Aunt Minnie decided my fate." Mary went for lighthearted and carefree, hoping they'd go along with it.

"How was it?" Remus asked with a smile that showed too many teeth. "Did you have fun up there?"

"It was okay." Mary backed off the happiness a little, feeling ill at ease. "It was for solidarity, you know. And Quidditch. We had to protest!"

"As long as you enjoyed yourself." Sirius replied after a moment.

"Yeah." Mary nodded. "It was fun."

"Good." Remus closed his eyes. "Because you're grounded."

"Say what?" Mary was thrown for a loop. "Why? I thought you guys would be proud! Wasn't that something you'd always wished you'd done?"

"Absolutely!" Sirius said, letting out a breath. "But we never actually did it!"

"Sucks to be you." Mary muttered.

"What was that, Mary Jane?" Remus' face filled the mirror and she could see the slight glow to his eyes.

"I'm just gonna go." Mary set the mirror down, holding a hand to her aching head. "Love you both. Time to go to sleep."

"Oh no you don't!" Sirius' voice echoed through the mirror.

The phantom rage and pain that'd been plaguing her all day was finally rearing it's ugly head and Mary lacked any will to fight it.

"Look," Mary picked up the mirror, holding it barely a foot from her face. "For me this was a  _really_  good day. I've flown from London to who knows where Scotland during a thunderstorm. I've just walked all the way from Hogsmeade in that same thunderstorm. Sat in a cold room with more than twenty people who smelled like a swamp. Missed the Feast. Been interrogated and snitched out by my best friends, and now I'm getting to my breaking point. I'm not hurt! I'm not injured in any way. I'm sorry I worried you, but I'm honestly just so tired of being micromanaged and overprotected. I had a few moments to have fun and be free and I took it. So you can ground me and you can lock me up, I don't really care. It was worth it!"

"Mary," Remus said in a softer voice. "Your scar is bleeding."

"What?" Mary put a hand to her forehead and pulled it back, finding her fingers covered in her own blood. "Oh no. I'm okay. I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Remus sighed, rubbing his tired face. "Sirius is on his way there."

"No, really." Mary shrugged, looking at the blood on her hands. "It's okay."

"We'll figure this out, Mary." Moony tried to placate her. "We've had a plan in place ever since Dumbledore warned us about this being a possibility."

"It's too soon, Moony." Mary whispered. "I know what I have to do, but it's just too soon. The connection shouldn't be this strong!"

"You're not doing anything, Mary Jane." Remus assured her. "It's just a little blood, okay? We'll have Madam Pomfrey check you out and then you can go to class in the morning."

"It's too soon!" Mary whimpered, her legs giving out and making her fall to the floor.

She'd faced Voldemort before. Twice. She'd made it out in one piece. Both times she went in thinking that if she couldn't stop him someone else could. But now, with the pressure of it being all on her was a bit too much. If her scar was bleeding, was he close? Had he changed his plans? Was he trying to break her mind? Was he trying to break  _into_  her mind? What if he knew what she did? What would Voldemort change to his advantage? What kind of horror could he subject the world to if he knew what she did?

"Stay calm!" Remus urged her. "Just breathe, Mary Jane. Just breathe."

The door opened, but Mary didn't bother to stand or look up. Instead she crossed her arms and put her head down. She couldn't bear to face Hermione, Lavender, or Parvati at that moment. Instead it was Professor McGonagall who walked in, all of the disappointment on her face was gone and was replaced with sincere worry.

"Come along, Potter." McGonagall reached for her hand and helped her get up off the floor. "Your guardian is waiting outside the portrait hole and I think he and the Fat Lady are about to have another fight."

Mary wiped her face on her sleeve, only smearing blood everywhere.

McGonagall flicked her wand at Mary's face and all the feeling of dried blood vanished, yet the wound didn't close or stop bleeding. "Here, Potter."

Mary accepted the handkerchief with a little scottish terrier stitched in one corner gratefully and placed it up against her burning scar. "I'm going to make a scene going down there like this."

"Nonsense," the deputy headmistress smiled at her in sympathy. "I've sent everyone to their dorms with threat of detention for the year if they step out of bounds before morning. Your roommates have been told that your godfather wanted to have a talk with you and it's to my own understanding that they believe you are in quite a bit of trouble from your earlier escapades."

Mary stumbled slightly as another burst of searing pain erupted from her skull. "We better hurry."

McGonagall grabbed her arm to steady her and guided her down the stairs. Hermione, Lavender and Parvati all stood when she reached the common room.

"Are you okay?" Hermione rushed forward.

"I'm fine." Mary assured her tightly.

In all truth, she was a bit ticked off at Hermione. Had it not been for her meddling she could have dealt with this on her own in peace and quiet. Instead she would have to deal with Sirius and his intense mothering while being berated for doing things she knew he was jealous only because he didn't have the gall to do it himself. Mary ground her teeth together as another wave of anger burned through her.  _What right did any of them have to tell her what to do? Who gave them permission to dictate her entire life?_

Mary turned away when Hermione moved to embrace her, pulling the hood of her cloak up to hide her face. She didn't feel capable of looking at her. Of looking at anyone. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Calm yourself, Potter." McGonagall urged her gently as they made it to the portrait hole.

Sirius rushed forward, enveloping her in a hug that she couldn't bear to reciprocate. She felt like she was suffocating. As though he could sense her thoughts he released her immediately.

Sirius knelt down on the stone floor in front of her and stared into her eyes. "Mary?"

She looked away immediately. She couldn't do it. She couldn't look at him. Not like that. The anger, the hatred, it wasn't her's and she never wanted Sirius to see her looking at him like that.

"Don't." She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. "Just say what you need to say and let me go so I can sleep. I have class in the morning."

"I've got this, Minnie." Sirius whispered.

She heard him get to his feet and the sound of Professor McGonagall's stiff tartan skirt rustling as she walked away.

"Go ahead." Mary whispered, readying herself for a lecture.

"Walk with me." Sirius said instead, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Just close your eyes and think about flying. I'll be here to guide you. Trust me."

She didn't close her eyes, instead she kept them focused on the stone in front of her. Down and down they went. Two staircases and three corridors later, until Mary realized where they were headed and the thought alone sent panic flooding through her.

"No," Mary shook her head vehemently. "I can't go there. Not now."

"It's for the best." Sirius said in a pained tone, knocking on the simple wooden door. "He's the best person to help."

The door opened, but Mary didn't look up. She was afraid to look at him.  _Why now? What was Voldemort so angry about? She'd done her best to keep her mind clear, why was his anger still coming through?_  It was too soon for her to be feeling this way.

"Come in."

* * *

**Severus Snape**

Severus was shocked when the headmaster called him shortly after dinner. He'd been in the middle of meeting his new first years when Fawkes arrived in a burst of flames, scaring his new charges half to death with his sudden appearance. He read through the letter, placed it in his pocket and then continued his speech as though nothing happened. The First years were so wound up, waiting for something else to pop up, that he doubted they retained a single thing he said. And of course he had Potter to blame. Still though, he went through his yearly routine without sparing the girl no more than a thought. His House was his main priority and he wouldn't see them fall to the wayside just to placate Potter's untimely fits of inconvenience.

So to see her and her dogfather standing at the door to his personal quarters hours later wasn't so much of a surprise as was the fact that said mutt had little to no issue with the situation. All of his concern was focused on the girl who had yet to remove her hood or take a step into the room.

"Now, Potter." He added with a little more sternness in his tone.

Potter lifted her head and he could see the faint glow to her green eyes despite the fact that her hood shrouded her from the light. He reached forward slowly, pulling the hood back and had to hold in his shock at seeing the infamous lightning bolt scar standing out as swollen and fresh as the moment it was made. Blood trickled down the bridge of her nose and down to her lip in a steady stream.

"I shouldn't be here." Potter almost growled out, staring at the wall behind him.

"Sit down, Potter," he instructed her with no sympathy.

Potter sat automatically, holding herself stiffly at the edge of the couch as though she was ready to bolt at any given moment. Black looked down at her with a mixture of worry and pity. Neither would help the girl.

Severus took the few short steps to the small cabinet in his rooms and pulled out a light green potion vial and went back to Potter who hadn't yet moved.

"Drink this."

Potter didn't look up. "Will it inhibit my ability to keep my mind protected?"

"A Calming Draught would in fact bolster control on your mental facilities." He explained, holding in a sigh. "You would know this had you truly studied the effects of potions on the practicing Occlumens."

"And miss out on this lecture?" Potter clenched her left hand at her side before reaching out to grab the vial. "Thank you, sir."

"Just drink it." Severus snapped out.

"He's angry." Potter rolled her shoulders. "I don't think he can sense me at all, but that doesn't stop me from feeling what he does. I hate it! I hate him! I wish he was dead!"

Severus nearly smiled at the way Black shuddered at the conviction in his precious goddaughters voice. He would have smiled had the statement not sounded like something he would have said when he was her age.

He was tired and ill tempered, knowing that a castle full of listless brats surrounded him. It didn't help that a quarter of them were his own personal responsibility. Now with Potter's predicament it caused even more issues. To top it all of, his Dark Mark had been burning consistently for the entire day. Not enough to make him think that he was being summoned, seeing as the mark was still a faded gray, yet it was a pins and needles feeling that set his teeth on edge. Potter was correct in stating that the Dark Lord was angry. He was angry and slowly growing in power. And that didn't bode well for anyone.

"That's not you, Potter," he replied calmly, "that is  _his_  anger, and  _his_  hatred. Not your's."

"You're just like everyone else." She pinned him with that haunting green stare. "Always telling me what I can and can't do. All of the sudden everyone's the expert at keeping me safe. Where were all of my champions when I was starving in my cupboard? Where were you when I was spending hours in the blistering sun weeding Aunt Petunia's flower bed until my hands were raw? You didn't care then. Why do you care now?"

"I didn't know about any of that," Severus answered honestly. "I knew your aunt was a coldhearted woman, but I hoped that she would take care of you the way Lily would have had situations been reversed."

"Isn't that a thought?" Potter said with a hysterical laugh. "My parents alive and Dudley skinny and being raised like my brother?"

"I wouldn't go that far." Black muttered, leaning his hands on the back of the sofa.

Potter dabbed at her forehead with the soaked handkerchief and Severus flicked his wand, removing all of the blood from the cloth, leaving it crisp and clean.

"Sorry." Potter deadpanned. "Wouldn't want to stain your sofa with my Potter blood."

"I am a Death Eater, Potter," Severus deadpanned, "removing bloodstains is second nature for me."

Black bristled at the admission, but Potter nodded stoically. "I can kill him, I know I can. I just really really don't look forward to it."

"You won't ever get close to him, Potter." Severus said automatically. "That is not your task to complete."

Potter chuckled humorlessly. "If you say so, professor."

She was calmer now. It seemed that letting out some of the foreign anger instead of repressing it seemed to help. He pointed to the calming draught in her hand and she lifted it to her pale lips, downing it quickly.

A moment passed and she stood brushing her hands across her robes. "Thank you-"

All at once her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped to her side, leaving Black scrambling to either help her or hex him. "What the hell, Snape?"

"I laced it with a mild sleeping draught." Severus replied easily. "If she'd been sleeping regularly she would have made it back to her dorm before falling into a relaxed sleep. I'd say she hasn't slept well in weeks."

"Would  _you_  if you had that dark bastard in your mind?" Black growled.

"I am capable of brewing potions that will put a giant into a coma." Severus said without boasting. "Had you informed me she was having trouble sleeping I would have provided you with potions to help her."

"She said she was sleeping." Black's shoulders slumped in defeat. "And I believed her. I wanted to believe that she was okay."

"If old dogs can learn new tricks, you'll eventually realise that Potter is rarely honest when it pertains to her own health or state of mind." Severus was unsure of why his words had came out more placating and less the insult he intended.

Black looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "I'll keep that in mind. Do you want me to take her back home, or should I take her to Gryffindor Tower?"

His shock that Black was actually asking for his opinion was overshadowed by the fact that Black seemed wholly lost and looking to him - of all people - for guidance.

"Potter has been Occluding her thoughts heavily. Should she wake up in a vulnerable frame of mind it will only make her more susceptible to a mental attack. I will keep watch over her tonight." He offered after a moment of thought.

Black breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm only a floo call away. I'd stay and take her back home with me, but I think I'd have better luck with taming one of Hagrid's pets."

"Indeed." Severus nodded, unable to find an eloquent retort to that statement.

He was mildly surprised once again when Black Floo'ed out, leaving Potter in his sole care. All at once he felt uncomfortable and alien in his own home.

Potter's hair draped over the edge of the sofa like a dark tidal wave. The lightning bolt scar on her forehead continued to bleed slowly, and he knew he'd have to do something about that before anything else. With a flick of his wand he summoned a clean cloth and a vial of his best numbing potion. They floated into his grasp and he took great care in treating the curse scar, hoping that it would provide the girl with at least a little relief so that  _he_  could get some well deserved rest. She didn't stir as he removed her shoes and situated her more comfortably on the sofa and covered her with a warm quilt.

He moved to the chair nearest the fire and sat down heavily, grabbing the latest potions journal and made ready to stay up throughout the night keeping watch on Gryffindor's golden girl.

* * *

**September 2nd, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

Mary woke up tangled up in a warm blanket. She yawned widely. Rubbing her eyes and wondering where that irritating racket was coming from. She sat up and looked around.  _This wasn't her room and this wasn't Gryffindor Tower._  She put a hand hand to her head and closed her eyes, wondering what in the hell was going on. And then it came back to her. Voldemort's anger. Sirius taking her down to Snape's quarters.

 _He spiked the calming draught!_  She slapped a hand over her mouth, staring at the dark shadow that was snoring in the armchair across from her.

Though every part of her wanted to be irritated at Snape's actions, she couldn't really put much effort into it. Not when she saw the dangerous position she'd placed him in. Of all people that she needed to keep her distance from when she was channeling Voldemort's anger, he was on the top of the list. Especially now that Voldemort was on the warpath, knowing that one of his Horcruxes had been destroyed.

The last glowing embers in the fireplace gave off just enough light for her to check her watch and find her shoes. She had just enough time to get back to the Tower, get ready for the day, and hopefully come up with a story that didn't leave her friends asking questions.

Mary tied her shoes and stood, quietly folding the quilt and placing it on the arm of the sofa. Then she turned around, wondering if she should wake up Snape. The fire was dying and he had class to teach in a couple of hours. She didn't want him to get cold, and she also didn't want him to be late for class.

She bit her lip and grimaced as she grabbed the quilt and carefully placed it around the irritable man, backing away instantly when he shifted in the chair.

"Trying to smother me, Potter?" Snape's droll tone made her jump.

"I didn't want you to get cold." Mary blurted out, holding her hands up to show that she had no ill intentions. "It's just after five and I was going to head back to the Tower, but I didn't know if I should wake you or not."

"Use the Floo." Snape ordered her gruffly. "You stayed with that mutt you claim as a godfather last night."

"Yes, sir." Mary sighed in relief, moving towards the fireplace, wondering when Snape became so good at subterfuge.

"The powder is on the mantle." Snape ground out, flicking his wand to make the flames roar into life.

"Uh, thanks," Mary stammered, grabbing a pinch of Floo powder and throwing it into the grate.

She didn't wait for his response as she stepped in. "Gryffindor common room!"

The Floo spat her out on the worn maroon rug and Mary grimaced as she picked herself up off the ground.

What a way to start the new year.

 **.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.**  
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸  
m m


	24. yr4pt6 The Imperious Curse

**September 2nd, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

The first thing Mary did after she'd showered and changed was take a look at the Marauders Map. She checked it three times to make sure that there wasn't anyone suspicious at the school. There were a few names she didn't recognize, probably first years that'd been sorted the night before. Alastor Moody, the real Moody, was in the DADA office and walking around in a wide enough path to suggest he wasn't trapped in a trunk. The second thing she did was mirror call Sirius and Remus, who she had no issue whatsoever waking up, given the fact that she was being slightly petty and felt like nagging them early in the morning.

"Mary Jane?" Remus said gruffly, his eyes half closed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Mary answered honestly. "Just checking in. You know, after Sirius left me with Snape last night. Didn't want you to worry and all."

"Are you feeling better?" Remus mumbled, rubbing his face.

"More like myself." Mary smiled as best as she could. "Being well rested makes it easier."

Remus knew what she was saying in between the lines and nodded. "That's good, really good."

"Is Padfoot up yet?" Mary asked, knowing that the answer would be 'no'.

Remus trudged down the hall to Sirius' room where Sirius flung hexes at the closed door when Remus knocked.

"Maybe I'll call you back after dinner." Mary winced as Sirius let out a slew of profanities before going back to snoring loudly.

"Love you, Mary Jane." Remus yawned loudly.

"You too. Night, Moony." Mary waved as she tapped her wand to the mirror to stop the connection.

All of her books were in her bag, and she didn't feel like waiting another half hour for her roommates, so Mary went down to breakfast alone. The Great Hall was sparsely populated at that time of the morning, only little Professor Flitwick and a handful of Ravenclaws were in there. The main thing that struck her as odd was that instead of the four normal house tables, there were now seven slightly smaller tables angled horizontally across the Great Hall.

Terry, Padma and Sue waved her over with smiles on their faces.

"What's with the tables?" Mary asked, sitting down beside the three Ravenclaws at the fourth table.

"New order." Terry answered, not looking up from his Herbology book. "They're seating us by year now. Not by house."

Padma pushed a plate of toast toward her. "I think it's wonderful! We get to sit with our year mates now. I always thought the old way was a bit skewed. I mean, aren't we supposed to be showing inter-house cooperation?"

Sue rolled her eyes. "It'll go back to normal once this Tournament business is over. Mark my words, they're only doing this to show off and act like we all get along."

"We do." Mary grabbed a couple pieces of toast and a cup of pumpkin juice. "For the most part, anyway. It's a bit of a shock, and might take some getting used to, but I think it's great."

"Not everyone does." Terry lifted his eyes to look at the two tables behind them.

Cho Chang had her back to them, a forkful of eggs paused halfway to her mouth as she stared longingly at Cedric Diggory who sat alone at the Hufflepuff table scribbling on a piece of parchment as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"Poor thing." Padma whispered with heavy sarcasm in her tone, rolling her eyes as she went back to her breakfast.

"Cedric! Cho!" Mary said as loud as she could without waking Flitwick who was drooling in the gravy bowl.

The two turned to her with identical looks of curiosity.

"Come sit with us," Mary waved them over.

They looked to each other before gathering their things and shuffling over to sit next to each other on the opposite side of Mary. Cho's elbow brushed Cedric's and she turned her head away and blushed, oblivious to the fact that he was smiling at her.

Little moments like that made all of the crap she'd been through worth it, where things changed for the better and she could see a silver lining at the end of it. There wouldn't be one for her. She knew that for a fact. She knew that her destiny was to face Voldemort, but that didn't mean she didn't think beyond that fateful moment. Mary wanted to believe that no matter how dire things seemed, there was happiness to be found.

The Great Hall was slowly filling with students and Mary waved goodbye to Cedric and Cho as they went back to their respective tables to wait for McGonagall to hand out class schedules. Mary was refilling her glass when Ron and Hermione all but ran in, planting themselves beside her.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, looking guilt ridden.

Ron was looking tired and pale. "I heard McGonagall escorted you out and that Sirius took you home. I thought he'd gone through with keeping you locked up at his place."

Mary shook her head. "I stayed the night there. Padfoot and Moony grounded me for all future breaks."

Ron hissed a breath out. "That stings."

"It does." Mary cut her eyes at Hermione at that. "I'm saying this now, I don't really appreciate you ratting me out to my guardians. Out of all the dangerous things we've done at this school, that was at the bottom of a very long list."

Hermione looked down at her hands. "I was just worried. You were dead on your feet when we were walking through the station. You know how dangerous it is to fly when tired. One lapse in concentration and you could be horribly injured or even killed!"

"I was perfectly fine." Mary placed her palms flat on the table. "Really, I am. The more you keep poking and prodding and psychoanalyzing me, the worse you're making me feel. Which doesn't help any of us. So how about you wait for a moment when I'm really in serious danger before you call in the cavalry? Or at least attempt to talk to me about it first. One more slip up and Sirius will pull me out of school and there won't be anything anyone - not even Dumbledore - could say to change his mind."

"I'll try." Hermione sighed, looking up to really study Mary's face. "You at least look like you slept last night. That's good. Fourth year is supposed to be far more important and we'll be learning loads more. We have OWLS to prepare for after all."

"They're at the end of fifth year, Hermione." Mary sighed. "I'd like to survive fourth year before even thinking about that."

Her friends gave each other a subtle look, one that Mary didn't miss, but also felt no need to comment on. Instead she went back to ripping apart strips of bacon, ignoring the shouts and cheers when the owls started flying in through the windows. Howlers wailed and screamed across the Great Hall and Fred, George, Adrian, and Lee were working together to blast them to pieces before they could scream more than a word to the person they were sent to. McGonagall was standing at the head table, yelling at the four of them to go back to their seats, but they acted as though they couldn't hear her as they cut off Molly Weasley's second Howler mid rant.

Mary laughed and turned back around, but froze when Neville's mouth dropped open in shock as he sat down across from her.

"Nev?" Mary turned to look over her shoulder and spotted a very familiar looking great grey owl flying straight for her.

She braced herself as the heavy bird landed on her shoulder, flexing his claws just enough to know that he wasn't happy about the long flight, but not enough to really hurt her.

"Morning, Boris," Mary gave rasher of bacon to the owl before untying the large envelope from his leg.

"Who's is it?" Neville looked up at the owl in astonishment.

"Mmms." Mary muttered, tucking the envelope into her robe pocket.

Ron gave her an odd look. "Who's?"

Mary leaned toward him, whispering; "Viktor's."

"Krum?" Ron said loudly, his eyes widening larger than the owls. " _Krum_  is still writing you?"

Mary put her head in her hands to hide her beet red face. There really was no chance to keep secrets when going to Hogwarts.  _They're never going to let me live this down._

The table went up in a flurry of questions.

"Oh, how sweet! How is he?" Hermione asked looking genuinely curious.

"You're dating Krum?" Parvati gasped.

" _The_  Viktor Krum is writing you?" Lavender put a hand to heart.

"Why is he writing  _you_?" Malfoy scoffed from the other side of the table.

Daphne looked appalled at his lack of sense. "Maybe because they're both international celebrities?"

Mary opened her mouth to correct her by way of saying that she wasn't a celebrity, but was cut off when Millicent's tawny owl squawked loudly.

"I need to go to the owlery." Millicent sighed. "Will you get my schedule, Daph?"

"Sure." Daphne nodded.

"I'll come with you." Mary saw her chance to escape and stood, grabbing a plateful of rashers and shoving them into her robe pocket.

Millicent didn't mention her letter and was quiet on the way to the owlery. Mary walked beside her in relative silence, reaching up every few moments to give Boris a half rasher. She handed a piece to Millicent who quickly handed it to the tawny owl who looked none too happy with being left out.

"She won't leave until I reply." Millicent finally said.

"Boris is much the same." Mary shot a dark look at said owl. "He's just going to have to wait though. I have classes to go to."

"He's really Krum's?" Millicent asked while a little color rose to her cheeks.

"It's not like that." Mary toed her boot on the stone floor. "He's just curious about Hogwarts because of the tournament. I'm the only person he knows here."

"I see." Millicent nodded, reaching toward Boris who bowed his head so she could stroke his feathers. "He's quite a large owl."

"He's a growing bird." Mary gave Boris another piece of bacon and handed a piece to Millicent's owl.

"You're not going to read his letter, are you?" Millicent's shoulders dropped.

"I will!" Mary defended herself. "Just not in front of those vultures back there."

"I feel much the same." Millicent looked down at the letter in her hands. "My mum's been real sick lately. I'd rather not read her letters at the breakfast table."

"I'm sorry, Milli," Mary put a hand on the taller girl's arm. "I hope she starts feeling better soon."

"Me too." Millicent said gruffly, taking the last few steps faster.

Mary hung back to give Millicent a moment of privacy.

"Go visit Hedwig and I'll bring you a reply later tonight." Mary told Boris, handing half of the last rasher of bacon.

For once, Boris listened and took the bacon with a haughty look, digging his talons into her shoulder one last time before launching himself into the air and diving into the owlery. Mary followed at a much slower pace, focusing on Hedwig who was clicking her beak in disapproval until Mary pulled out the last piece of bacon.

"You know you'd be eating better if you'd stayed home with Dobby and Kreacher." Mary told her oldest friend.

Hedwig stretched out her wings in a way that said; 'I'd rather stay here and have some peace and quiet.'

 _I wish I could say the same._  Mary thought, petting her faithful owl once more before heading back down the steps.

The fourth years were huddled in pairs at their table when Mary and Millicent returned. Hermione waved her over, barely glancing up from the strip of parchment in her hand.

"Timetables?" Mary asked, sitting down and accepting her own from Ron.

"Herbology with the badgers." Hermione looked up and smiled. "Hagrid's class, and oh look, Professor McGonagall has you down for Arithmancy this year."

"I asked her to." Mary slipped her timetable into her bag. "Self study went okay last year, but I think I'd actually learn more in a classroom setting."

Mary remained aloof and tried to keep her spirits up as they slogged through the first two classes of the term, but by the time they walked back into the castle for lunch, Mary wasn't feeling so optimistic.

"I need to have a shower." She she groaned, looking at her bubotuber pus and frog liver stained robes. "And I don't feel very hungry."

"Same," Hannah Abbott grimaced, her hair slightly charred and smoking, "those Skrewts are a nasty piece of work."

"I'm starved," Ron moaned. "What's that cleaning spell again, Mary?"

" _Tergeo_ ," Mary pointed her wand at Ron - and much like Grimmauld Place - Ron's robes looked loads cleaner, but still smelled awful without a proper washing.

"That will have to do." Ron shuffled in with Seamus, Dean and Neville.

Mary darted up the stairs to Gryffindor tower before Hermione could berate her for missing a meal.

Hermione was none too thrilled with her when they walked into the Potions classroom later that afternoon. No matter how many cleaning and freshening charms her friend cast, the smell would not go away. Considering her heightened senses, Mary opted to Partner with Neville and Parvati for the three stage brewing session.

Neville had all but killed the potion by the end of the first stage and Parvati barely kept the pewter cauldrons from melting when it was her turn to swap over to the brass cauldron. Neville and Mary revised the plethora of antidotes in their textbook while Parvati worked, trying to use the time wisely. By the time Mary took her turn and dumped the contents into the three copper cauldrons, she had her work cut out for her. She added each ingredient at the proper moment with her good hand, keeping her Muggle hand in her pocket lest she be tempted to use it and end up with the whole thing going awry. Finally she cast the final spell and sat down in a huff of exhaustion, knowing that it wasn't perfect, but it was passable. She'd adjusted the ingredients slightly to fix the issues, but still instead of teal, the potion was a slightly luminescent bluish green.

"What have you done, Potter?" Snape stalked toward them with a scowl on his face.

"I added mint and lavender." Mary all but whispered. "To make it easier on the stomach, sir."

Snape raised a brow with a dark look in his eyes. "And how would you know how a common antidote affects the bowels."

Malfoy and his cronies laughed to her embarrassment.

Mary grimaced and held her head high. "Experience, sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for once again experimenting during class, Potter." Snape said with a hint of satisfaction. "It truly seems that you are too thick to learn that my classroom is not a place to put theories into practice!"

"Yes, professor." Mary nodded, not breaking eye contact.

Snape spun around, robes billowing behind him as he glided back to his desk. "Each of you are to turn in a vial of your antidote. After such you are dismissed. We will be having a quiz on common antidotes each class this term, so I suggest you study. At some point in the year, I just may poison one of your number, and it'd be quite a shame if there was no suitable antidote on hand."

Mary and her fellow Gryffindors exchanged a look, knowing which side of the class Snape would choose to poison.  _It's just an act._  Mary told herself as she gathered her things and hastily exited the dark classroom. She knew he had to keep up appearances and be a total horse's arse in front of the Slytherins, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Especially when most of her classmates looked fit to pass out with Snape's newest threat.

"It'll be me." Neville moaned once they were a safe distance away. "He's going to poison  _me_."

"Nah," Mary patted his shoulder. "If anything you'll be the one brewing the antidote."

Neville let out a nervous laugh and then paled considerably. "I didn't think about it like that!"

Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors looked to Mary in horror. Mary only shrugged as she watched Hermione grab Neville's arm, dragging him down the corridor as she began reciting her study schedule and trying to find a way to get Neville to agree to tutoring.

"We're doomed." Seamus slapped a hand to his head.

"Really," Mary smirked at the rest. "Out of all of us here, who would Snape want to poison most?"

With that grim statement, the six of them followed Neville and Hermione to Gryffindor Tower, trying to keep their minds off the fact that over the next year they would be spending four hours a week with Snape, and at any point the dour man might just decide to follow through with his threat."

Mary flopped down on the worn armchair in the common and dug in her bag, pulling out Viktor's letter took in a deep sigh of relief when no one paid her any mind.

_**Mary Potter,** _

_**Your last letter was very amusing. Your godfather must have a good sense of humor to put up with sheep in his bedroom. It begs the question of what a boring day is like for you?** _

_**Here at Durmstrang there is unrest. The younger years are angry that we are leaving for months and months. Quite a few duels have broken out in the past week. It is not good.** _

_**The ridicule over my loss at the World Cup has been manageable, but not easy. I feel as though I have let myself and my team down with this latest defeat. To make matters worse, Headmaster Karkaroff announced that as of yet I am the only one scheduled to visit Hogwarts and have a chance to enter the tournament. He claims it is an effort to make the other students stay in line. All of my yearmates are avoiding me. There are those who deserve the opportunity far more than myself and they are sure to make that well known. I will be glad to spend the year at Hogwarts so that my final year of schooling will be an enjoyable one.** _

_**I must get to my next class, but I am already looking forward to flying with you again later this fall.** _

_**Hoping that the term starts better for you,** _

_**-V.K.** _

Mary felt a pang of sympathy for him. As she pulled a fresh piece of notebook paper and a pen from her bag, a reply already forming in her mind.

_Viktor,_

_I'm sorry that the start of term started on such a bad note. Maybe after Karkaroff picks more students things will get easier. Either way you know that as soon as you get here I'm going to pester the hell out of you, so enjoy the solitude while you can._

_Things here started a bit crazier than normal. I decided that it was wrong to ride all the way to Hogwarts with my team - and listening to their plans for the upcoming Quidditch season - without warning them that there wouldn't be one. So I told them about the tournament. They decided to protest and I joined them as we all mounted our brooms and flew above the Hogwarts Express all the way from London to Hogsmeade Station. As a punishment, ironically enough, we were all banned from Quidditch for the year and had our brooms confiscated._

_I'm hoping at some point I can go get my spare broom from home. It feels like a long shot though._

_Hoping time flies until you get here,_

_Mary Potter._

Mary rushed up to the owlery and sent the letter with a very irritated Boris, then rushed back down to McGonagall's office where she handed over a letter for both Sirius and Remus. She'd been honest and apologized for worrying her godfathers, even though there wasn't much she could say in the letter that she couldn't tell them via mirror, so she left it short and sweet.

McGonagall took the two letters with a stern look on her face, placing them in a tray on her desk. "You may go, Potter."

"Thank you, professor." Mary said as she walked out.

Cedric met her just outside the office. "Mary, how are you?"

"Fine," Mary replied in curiosity. "How about you?"

"I'm sorry about the World Cup," Cedric dropped his arms to his sides. "My father and I were in the forest when I overheard Ron and Hermione saying that you were still out there. I tried to go and help but my father refused to let me leave.

Mary dug her hands into her robe pockets. "He was right. It wasn't a good place to be. Don't worry though, as you can see, I'm still alive and kicking."

"That's good." Cedric ran a hand through his hair. "Really good."

"Is there something else you wanted?" Mary asked when he made no effort to move.

"I just wanted to thank you for this morning." Cedric smiled as he finally walked away, looking back over his shoulder he said; "It meant a lot."

Mary quirked her brows at that, wondering what he meant as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower. Maybe he was glad that he had the chance to sit next to Cho at breakfast. But that didn't make much sense because he could have done that on his own. Sometimes people really confused her.

Mary returned to her dorm, trying her best to set her confusion aside. Parvati and Lavender were talking loudly about an article in Witch Weekly as Mary began digging through her trunk to get things ready for the next day. Her hand bumped the small wooden box that was under her clean robes and she pulled it out, an idea blooming to life in the forefront of her mind.

"Parvati?" Mary asked as she stood up. "Do you know how to pierce ears?"

Parvati's eyes grew large as Lavender grabbed her arm and squealed. "Issue 97!"

"Got it!" Parvati pulled the magazine from the depths of her trunk, flipping through the pages until she found the right one. "My mother pierced my ears using this. There isn't any reason why Lav and I can't get it right."

Hermione put down her knitting. "Mary, don't you think you should ask Sirius or Remus about this? This is usually the type of thing parents need to approve of."

Mary didn't see how getting her ears pierced would be anything they would need to know about, but took Hermione's word for it as she was the one with experience at having parental figures. A quick search through her bag and Mary pulled out her mirror, tapping her wand to it and calling out Sirius' name.

"Mary!" Sirius' smiling face greeted her. "What's up, kiddo? I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have -"

Mary angled the mirror so Sirius could see that they had an audience. "Parvati and Lavender are going to pierce my ears. Is that okay with you and Remus?"

"Uh," Sirius turned the mirror to where she could see Remus sipping tea further down the table. "I don't think it's a problem. Do you, Moony?"

"You have plenty of that blue paste in your trunk." Remus moved closer. "Dab just a little bit on so that you won't feel any discomfort."

"Here," Mary pushed the mirror into Lavender's hands as she went to her trunk to dig out the small glass tub.

"Hi, professor," Lavender sighed deeply. "Professor Black."

Sirius coughed and Remus loudly choked on his tea. "Sirius, it's Sirius, Lavender."

Hermione fell over on her side in a fit of giggles while Parvati stared transfixed with the mirror. Mary quickly dabbed a little bit of the blue numbing paste on each earlobe and went to rescue her godfathers from her friends.

"Done." Mary plucked the mirror from Lavender's firm grip. "Are you sure you know the spell?"

"Yes," Parvati shook her head as though clearing her thoughts. "Of course."

"Here," Hermione handed Lavender a black marker as Parvati made Mary sit down on the edge of her bed.

With blue paste and black dots on her ears, Mary waited and questioned her own judgement as Parvati and Lavender each took an ear and said the spell from Witch Weekly. She felt the pressure, but the pain never came.

"Nice." Sirius commented. "Good job, girls."

"Put a layer of healing paste on for at least another half an hour so that they don't close up." Remus butted in.

"Why do you know so much about this?" Mary asked, checking out her friends' handiwork.

Remus grinned broadly. "I once had a friend who wanted his ear pierced. Thought it'd make him look rugged."

Mary turned back to the mirror and gave her godfather a look. "Siri?"

"It closed back up!" Sirius confessed, crossing his arms and making her roommates giggle. "I didn't leave it in long enough, okay!"

"That's what she said!" Remus laughed loudly.

Hermione's mouth dropped open in horror. Mary, Parvati, and Lavender could only gawk at Remus in shock.

"Not like that!" Their former professor exclaimed. "The witch complained that he didn't leave it in long enough."

Mary fell back onto her bed as a wave of laughter erupted from her chest. It physically hurt and she felt like she couldn't breathe. It was the best feeling she'd had in a while. Her friends were likewise in the same state and it only made it worse that Sirius' and Remus' voices echoed through their dorm as the two argued over the situation.

Mary finally sat up long enough to tap her wand to the mirror and ended the chat. She'd call them back later. She looked in the mirror and the radish earrings dangled from her blue paste covered earlobes as Lavender and Parvati were gushing over how easy the spell had been to master.

* * *

The next few days passed without any fanfare, and although Mary kept the Marauders Map on her at all times, she had yet to see anything untoward or anyone where they shouldn't have been. Still though, she was always on high alert and wasn't exactly looking forward to her first class in Defense. She had no idea how the real Alastor Moody would be as a teacher, but if he was anything like the man she'd spent time with in the Alley, she was bound to be a nervous wreck by the end of it.

Mary waited until Ron and Hermione had rushed into the classroom and took their seat in the front before she took her seat next to Neville. The class was full, the other students were whispering back and forth, wondering when their new professor would show up, and Mary quickly glanced at the piece of parchment in front of her checking, watching, and waiting as the steps that labeled one Alastor Moody crept closer to the room. She shoved the map back into her bag and held her wand tight in her hand. Real Moody or not, she wouldn't be caught unaware.

" _Expelli-_ " Mary heard the deep voice whisper from the doorway.

Mary stood and spun around, aiming carefully. " _Stupefy!_ "

" _Protego!_ " Moody shouted, - causing her spell to divert harmlessly away - while his form came into view as his disillusionment charm wore off. "Nice work, Potter. A little slow on the uptake, but not bad either."

Mary nodded, taking a deep breath as she resumed her seat, leaving her classmates to wonder what was going on.

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Mad-Eye boomed, making everyone jump out of their skins. "Potter's worked with me before, she knows my methods, but I'll not have it said that I'm either predictable or easily fooled. When you walk into my class I better see wands in hand and each of you at the ready. Any textbook I see out in my classroom will be obliterated. Defense against the Dark Arts isn't something you can read about or study for. It's something you have to experience! It's something you have to train for both in mind and in body!

Moody took jagged steps toward the front of the room, his staff clanking loudly on the stone floor. "By the end of this year I'll have the lot of you so uptight and scared that you'll have to launder your pants at least once. But I'll also have you prepared for anything that's ever thrown in your path. This is supposed to be my first year of retirement, you see, and I'm only here because Professor Dumbledore asked me to help. So if you think you can go running to him or your Head of House for leniency then I don't recommend it, it'll get you nowhere."

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary saw Hermione raise her hand. "Professor Moody?"

"Your name, girl?" Moody's magical eye spun around to focus on her.

"Hermione Granger, sir." Hermione sat straight, as usual, undeterred by the former Auror's demeanor. "If textbooks aren't required, why did we have to buy them?"

"Ha!" Moody let out a laugh. "Maybe because the board of governors requires all teachers have a textbook to go by. Or maybe because I wanted to distract all of you with the thought of standard spells. All of you are free to read any textbook in your short reach to try and protect yourself from the Dark Arts. But be warned, reading about a spell and using it in real life are quite different."

Mary took a quick glance at her classmates and saw them all in a similar state of both shock and eagerness. While Sirius had done his best to teach them the more practical side of Defense, they only had him for one class a month. This would be a crash course of learning that Mary was all too ready to dive into.

"Who here can give me of name of one of the three Unforgivable curses?" Moody stalked up to the chalkboard and peered over his shoulder. "The ones that get you a one way ticket to Azkaban?"

Hands cautiously went up around the room.

"Granger!" Moody called out. "The curse?"

"The Imperious curse, sir." Hermione answered quickly.

"Yes," Moody's mouth twitched into a gnarled smile. "The Imperious Curse. Caused a lot of trouble back in the day. Turned brothers on each other. Left people not knowing who they could trust. Left some cowards a way out of the heinous deeds they willingly acted on."

Moody's magical eye spun around to focus on Draco Malfoy, who sat there trying to appear as though the grizzly wizard's words meant nothing. "Stand, Malfoy!"

Draco looked to Crabbe, and then to Pansy, who both looked away. "Sir?"

" _Imperio!_ " Moody's spell shot out before anyone could react.

Draco stood there, swaying slightly as the spell overtook him. Mary watched unabashedly as a look of calm contentment washed over the pale Slytherin's face.

"Dance across the classroom." Moody said easily.

As though he had no inhibitions, Malfoy hiked up the bottom of his robes and tap danced across the classroom, leaving almost all of the students staring and laughing in glee. Mary couldn't allow herself to. Part of her was worried what would happen when the other curses were named. The other part worried what would happen when Malfoy's parents learned of the incident. While Lucius no longer held a heavy hand in the Ministry's inner workings, Mary had no doubt that he had enough blackmail on certain people to get the old Auror in some serious trouble.

Moody flicked his wand and Malfoy stopped dancing. He looked horrified to find himself halfway across the room with everyone staring and laughing at him. Humility was a lesson Malfoy needed to learn, but Mary didn't think this was the best way to teach him.

"Out of the three curses, this one can be fought." Moody instructed them as Malfoy shuffled back to his seat. "Over the course of this year I'll see to it that each and every one of you have the chance to break free of this dreadful curse."

Much to Mary's relief, the other two curses were only discussed in theory. It really made a difference that the real Mad-Eye was teaching. Neville looked wholly engaged to what Moody was saying. The other students were at the edge of their chairs, waiting, watching, wondering what would happen next.

"Class dismissed!" Moody barked out before the bell had even rung.

Everyone stood to their feet gathering their bags and shuffling out, talking quietly about the class. Hannah Abbott was barely to the door when the spell fizzled through the air.

" _Imperio!_ "

Mary felt the world fall away. Her fears and worries left her and all she felt was bliss and peace. This was easy. This was safe. She wished like she could stay right there forever.

_Point your wand at Granger._

Mary's wand flicked into her hand.

_Point your wand at Weasley._

Mary's arm lifted of its own accord.

"Potter, cast any spell at them." A distant voice and various voices echoed into her mind. "Any spell, Potter."

Mary could hear the echoes of whispers in the distance, but they held no place among the peace and quiet. She was safe here. Everything was alright.

"Now, Potter!" The voice urged.

" _Av-_ " Mary's voice slowed to a crawl and she found herself hurdled across the room, slamming into the far wall. " _is_."

Shouts and chaos had Mary shaking the fog from her mind. She scrambled to her feet, wand still in hand, as the other students looked at her in shock.

"Everyone out!" Moody roared, causing the students to scramble out of his way. "OUT!"

Mary picked her bag up off the floor and stumbled toward the doorway, but a strong hand grasped her arm.

"Not you, Potter." Moody pulled her back.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville all took steps back, looking shaken and shocked.

"Go on you three." Moody shooed them away. "Potter's safe with me."

"Mary?" Ron didn't budge, looking to her for instruction.

Mary let out a laugh that sounded wholly fake. "I'm fine, Ron. Go on ahead."

The three walked out and Mary watched the doors close with a sinking feeling. She stood there silently long after Moody had left her side, just staring at the door, willing her friends to come back so that she wouldn't be alone.  _Have I made a mistake? Will choosing the future I want make me lose the people I care about the most?_

"Alastor?" Professor McGonagall's voice had Mary spinning around. "What's the meaning of this?"

"I too would like an answer to that question." Professor Dumbledore stepped out of Moody's office, brushing his robes, as though he'd just stepped out of the Floo.

"As I mentioned-" Moody started talking and Mary tuned him out.

She sat down heavily at the nearest desk and stared at the window, watching as the rain pelted against it and dripped down. Down and down it went until it disappeared.

"Potter," McGonagall's voice pulled her out of it. "What in Merlin's name were you thinking?!"

"Professor?" Mary rubbed a hand across her face, trying to focus. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question."

Dumbledore stared at the window to her left, not meeting her eyes, but both Moody and McGonagall had no such inclination to keep their distance. They both moved closer and closer until Mary had no choice but to stand and back away.

The doors behind her burst open and Mary darted out and around the corner, running as fast as her legs would take her. She didn't know why. She didn't know where she was going, all she could do was run.

Hours later, Mary'd been found, and by the last person she wanted to see.

"Hello, Professor," Mary placed the clean cup on the counter.

"Come with me, Potter," Snape grabbed her arm and guided her out of the Hogwarts kitchen.

"Bye." Mary waved back to the group of elves who stood there looking sympathetic to her plight.

"Of all the places to run away to and you choose to go and work in the kitchens with the house elves." Snape snarled.

"Cleaning helps me clear my mind." Mary glanced around, realizing that they weren't headed for Dumbledore's office. "Where are we going, sir?"

"Professor McGonagall wishes to speak to you." Snape said as though the words took every bit of his control. "As does Professor Moody."

"And Dumbledore?" Mary asked quietly.

"He has left for dinner." Snape intoned. "Which is where we both would be if you hadn't pulled off yet another idiotic stunt."

"I'm sorry, sir." Mary whispered. "I had to."

Snape clenched his jaw, his pace picking up as they neared McGonagall's office door. "You are to go in there and face-"

"Stay with me!" Mary broke free of his hold. "Please, sir. I need you here for this."

"Potter, you do not need-" Snape's dark eyes pinned her to the spot.

"Get in here!" Moody hissed from the doorway.

Snape looked ready to leave, but Mary didn't back down, this was something she needed him there for. He was the only one - other than Dumbledore - to do what was needed. If there was anyone she could trust, as much as she hated to even think it, it was Snape.

"Severus, Potter!" McGonagall stood from her desk. "Finally."

"I'm sorry, Professor Moody," Mary cut all of them off, pulling out her wand and casting a sealing and silencing charm on the door. "I didn't mean to cause a scene in class today. It truly wasn't my intention."

"Potter, you turned your wand on yourself." McGonagall breathed. "You were going to-"

"Cast a bird conjuring charm." Mary finished for her, flicking her wand. " _Avis._ "

The three little yellow birds happily flew about the room chirping and singing until Mary waved her wand to send them back to where they came from.

"That's not the way it looked." Moody stomped closer to her. "It looked as though you were going to kill yourself before you cast even a tickling jinx at your friends."

"Good." Mary nodded her head.

"How on earth is that good?" Snape moved to peer down at her.

"Subtlety and cunning, professor." Mary let out a dark laugh, before turning to the retired Auror. "Cast the curse again."

Moody took a step back, his good blue eye focused on her. " _Imperio._ "

Mary heard McGonagall gasp in outrage, but all she felt was that weightless feeling of relief.

_Jump, Potter._

"I don't really feel like it, Professor." Mary replied.

_Dance, Potter._

Mary crossed her arms.

"Potter, cast a spell at Snape. Any spell." Moody ordered her. "Now."

"And have him curse me back?" Mary scoffed. "No thanks, sir. I'm smarter than that."

"Impressive." Moody let out a breath, releasing her from the spell. "Why didn't you just do the same in class?"

"I'd rather not lay all my cards on the table just yet." Mary holstered her wand. "Not in front of students that would write home to tell their families that little Potter is even more of a freak than they thought."

It hit her like a ton of bricks. Mary hadn't even heard Professor Snape cast the curse, but she could feel the edge of darkness that his own magic had. It didn't give her that weightless free feeling like Moody's Imperius Curse did. This felt malevolent and dangerous.

_Sit down, Potter._

_Give up. You know you want to. You're tired and weak. Just give up and sit down._

It took all of her will power to stand straighter and turn around. "Never."

Snape released the spell and stepped back.

Moody's good eye darkened. "If you were looking to keep this a secret, you chose the wrong company, girl."

"I don't think so." Mary stepped between Snape and Moody.

"Quite right." Professor McGonagall took her arm. "Dinner is about to begin and I suggest we all make it back to the Great Hall before everyone fears for the worst. Come along, Potter. Alastor, Severus, I'd like a word with you both later."

Truth be told, Mary didn't really care what anyone else thought just as long as she didn't have to walk in and see the looks of pity on her friend's faces. Luck it seemed, didn't always go her way. Dinner was just getting started when the three professors left her at the door and went into the Great Hall. Mary, once again, had the urge to run, but instead she walked in with her spot at the fourth year table in sight and she didn't take her eyes off of it until she reached her destination.

She sat down and grabbed the nearest serving bowl, scooping something onto her plate and began to eat. They all thought she was mental. Even her closest friends likely thought she was about to off herself. Little did they know that that was the farthest thing from her mind. She wasn't strong like Remus, she wasn't smart like Hermione, and she certainly wasn't as powerful as Dumbledore, but she was stubborn. She was stubborn and hard headed and there was no way she was going to give up. She would fight with everything she had until the bitter end.


	25. The Goblet of Fire

Ron Weasley could honestly say that he'd never felt true fear until he watched his best mate turn her wand on herself in the Dark Arts classroom. He'd stood there beside Hermione. Watching, waiting, and hoping whatever spell Mary cast wouldn't embarrass him too much. It'd been funny to see Malfoy act like the sod he was, but he didn't feel particularly keen on one upping the snobby Slytherin. Yet, in the back of his mind, he also feared that Mary would cast a spell that would do something far worse than Tarantallegra. He knew she'd spent months combing through the books in the Black Family library, and they didn't seem the type to keep prank books on hand.

Mary lifted her arm and Hermione began mumbling something about how wrong it was that Moody was making her do this and she didn't feel it was right. Ron wholeheartedly agreed when the dark wand rose to point between them. And then Mary did the daftest thing he'd ever saw her do, and that was saying a lot in itself.

She pointed the wand at her temple. " _Av-_ "

Hermione let out an odd sound and Ron had taken a step forward, ready to knock the wand out of Mary's hand, but Moody was faster. His spell hit Mary, knocking her sideways, and breaking the spell before it could be completed.

Hermione looked fit to burst into tears all through dinner, and Ron's nerves were so on edge that he barely touched his food. Right up until Mary walked in, a grimace on her face as she sat down, looking down at her plate as though the pile of gravy she'd poured there had insulted her.

"You alright there, mate?" Ron asked before Hermione could begin her inquisition.

Mary looked up and smiled - a fake smile - in a way that set him off his food. "Fine. Just hungry."

"Let Potter eat, Weasley," Malfoy guffawed from across the table. "Wouldn't want her to off herself, would you?"

"Why you foul little-" Hermione moved to stand, but Mary pulled her back down by the sleeve of her robe.

"He's not worth it, Hermione." Mary sighed, pushing the gravy around with her fork.

"Let's get out of here." Ron stood, wiping his hands on his robes as Mary and Hermione gathered their things and followed him out of the great hall.

"Reckon you can show us to the kitchens?" Ron asked Mary as soon as they were in the main hall. "Didn't much feel like eating in there. Not with Malfoy sitting so close."

"He put you off you dinner?" Mary asked, a true mischievous smile lighting her face.

"You have no idea." Ron shook his head, letting her take the lead.

Hermione was glancing around while they travelled down another staircase, as though she was memorizing the path. "How often do you come down here, Mary?"

Mary dug her hands into her pockets. "As often as I can. The house elves are great company."

"And we're not?" Ron asked, a grin on his face.

Mary let out a laugh. "I didn't hex you today, did I? That should be answer enough."

Hermione reached out hesitantly and grabbed Mary's arm, stopping her in the dim corridor. "You weren't going to-"

"Off myself?" Mary finished for her, pulling out her wand. "No.  _Avis_!"

Ron watched as a small flock of twittering birds launched themselves from her wand and then quickly flew toward the nearest exit.

"A bird conjuring charm?" Hermione raised a brow at Mary. "Really?"

Mary rubbed her shoulder and winced. "Don't know why I got flung into a wall over it though. I mean it's not like the birds were going to hurt anyone."

"The way your wand was pointed they would have flown straight in one ear and out the other." Ron shook his head.

"Ronald Weasley!" Mary put her hands on her hips. "Are you saying I've nothing between my ears?"

Ron grinned as they stopped just in front of a portrait depicting a bowl of fruit. "You said it!"

"I take offense to that." Mary grumbled, moving forward to tickle the pear on the portrait. "Here we are."

They stepped through and Ron found himself in food heaven. House elves were everywhere, bustling to and fro and whistling while they worked. The long tables were heavy laden with huge pots and bowls of food that immediately refilled their counterparts in the Great Hall. The huge dish in the back filled with cottage pie called to Ron in a way that made his stomach do a flip.

An older looking elf shuffled toward them with his long nose in the air. "Is you here to clean, Mary Potter?"

"No, Micky," Mary replied easily.

"That is being good." Micky narrowed his eyes at the three of them. "You is to be sitting and eating. You's did not get enough for dinner."

"We didn't come here to cause you more work." Mary said in a gentle tone.

"Follow Micky." The elf waved a spindly hand and guided them to a stack of plain wooden plates that stood before the largest buffet Ron had ever seen. "You is to be eating as much as you can. You know where the table is, Mary Potter."

Ron goggled at the expansive spread of food in front of himself and grabbed a plate without a second thought. He didn't care if Hermione hexed him into a puddle of goo later, but there was no way he was passing up dinner a second time. Ron piled food onto a plate and made his way to the back of the large kitchen where Hermione and Mary were sitting with their own plates.

"I don't know if I'll ever go to the great hall again!" Ron exclaimed.

"We really shouldn't be causing them more work." Hermione looked over her shoulder to see the elves whistling and talking amongst each other as the cooked and cleaned. "They have enough to deal with taking care of the castle and the meals."

"Keep your voice down." Mary hissed. "If you reject their kindness they take it as a personal offense."

Hermione immediately looked down at her plate and began eating, giving Ron leeway to enjoy his meal in peace. He kept an eye on Mary watching as she'd push her food around her plate to hide the fact she wasn't really interested in the meal. It was something he noticed about her since they'd started Hogwarts that Mary would usually forego food when she was in a mood.

"I'm going to the Room of Requirement to call Sirius." Mary stood up, taking her plate to the nearby sink.

"Can't you do that from the common room?" Hermione asked loudly, looking forlornly at her half empty plate.

"I'm still in some hot water over the other night." Mary shook her head. "You two finish up in here and I'll meet you back in the tower."

Ron and Hermione stayed silent as Mary left, leaving Ron just a few spare seconds to get another bite of food in before Hermione started up.

"You're not buying that bird charm, are you?" Hermione glared at the door.

"Sure I am." Ron answered. "Mary wouldn't hurt herself."

Hermione didn't look appeased. "There's more to this than she's telling us."

"Of course there is." Ron took another bite of his chicken. "It's Mary we're talking about. Just cause I'm letting the matter go doesn't mean I'm not going to keep an eye on her."

Ron thought back to that fateful day on the Hogwarts Express. He'd walked into that cabin, seeing nothing but a boy with oversized ragged clothes and a bad haircut and figured it was as safe a place as any to keep away from Fred and George. The boy across from him barely spoke and kept his eyes -hidden behind thick dark framed glasses - pointed at the window.

It wasn't until Hermione barged into the compartment an hour later that Ron learned the truth. The boy sitting across from him, sharing his candy, wasn't a boy at all. It was Mary Potter, the witch that Ginny dressed up as on a daily basis as she ran around the house banishing pretend dark witches and wizards. Ron was appalled when remembering his rant.

" _You can't be Mary Potter!" Ron stood up, grabbing Scabbers up off the seat. "Mary Potter is famous and, well, rich! Not some shoddy looking little boy."_

If Malfoy hadn't burst in right then spewing his normal pureblood shite, then Ron very well have walked out never to speak to her again. But Mary'd put Malfoy in his place and stood beside him and Hermione even though she didn't have to.

Despite her fame and her reputation - and the fact that she was a girl - Ron couldn't find a reason not to be her friend. He figured it wouldn't last anyway, not after they were sorted. But Mary refused to let anything stand in her way. And through all the adventures and bad times in their first two years at Hogwarts, he couldn't help but feel lucky that he'd chosen that compartment. Mary and Hermione may have been girls, but they were the best mates he'd ever had.

"Is you's be wanting anything else." Micky the elf shuffled up to the table.

"What does Mary usually do when she is here?" Hermione asked in a gentle tone.

"Mary Potter is cleaning and doing the washing." Micky grumbled. "Tis not a thing for students to be doing. You is supposed to be studying and making friends."

"Thank you, Micky." Ron interrupted before Hermione could say anything that would disrupt the elves and their cooking. "Let's go, Hermione. We better make sure Mary makes it back to the common room before curfew."

But when they finally walked into the common room, Mary was already there, head down as she examined a piece of parchment with Fred and George. Girls were barmy and Ron was starting to fear for his own sanity if things didn't improve soon.

"Look, they've just placed the announcement!" Dean shouted to Ron as he waved him toward the board.

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday 30th of October.**

**Lessons will end half an hour early.**

* * *

**October 29th, 1994**

**Mary Potter**

Things went back to normal at a faster pace than Mary thought they would. And while her year-mates were still a little skittish around her, they didn't treat her with any hostility. Instead, Ron and Hermione rarely left her side and it was making it even more difficult for her to find time alone to train. And no matter where Mary went in the castle, Mad-Eye was sure to be just around the corner. It had her on edge wondering if he was watching her or if he was waiting to catch her unawares so that he could put her under the curse again. Either way, she tried to keep the Marauders Map on hand just to stay a step ahead of him.

Classes were becoming more taxing and Mary found herself in the library with the rest of the fourth years going over textbooks for hours on end. By the time they made it back to Gryffindor tower in the evenings there wasn't much else to do other than say their goodbyes and head to bed where Mary would toss and turn restlessly until the sun came up.

"Instructions are on the board." Snape bit out that next day in the potions classroom.

Mary squinted her eyes to try and see the tiny text on the blackboard, reaching down to grab another Billywig sting. She tossed it into the cauldron and made three anticlockwise turns and waited. The cauldron began to bubble and hiss and Mary looked down to see where she'd went wrong. It was supposed to be simmering and turning a pale violet, not acid green and boiling.

"What have you done, Potter?" Snape stalked toward her.

Mary retraced her steps. "I just added the third Billywig-"

Her cauldron began to shake violently and Mary panicked, doing the only thing she could to stop it. She whipped off her work robe and covered the cauldron just as it exploded.

Snape flicked out his wand and vanished her workrobe and the potion she'd spent the past two hours on in one go. "Detention, Potter."

"Yes, sir." Mary rubbed a hand over her face.

"Class dismissed." Snape called out. "Place your completed antidotes on my desk. Potter, I expect you here before breakfast on Saturday."

"Yes, sir." Mary grimaced.

Hermione reached over and grasped her hand tightly but Mary shook it off, stuffing her textbook into her bag before rushing out of the room. She ran all the way to the Room of Requirement and waited as the door opened for her. Stepping inside, Mary saw a plethora of glass vases and porcelain plates exactly like the ones Aunt Petunia had in her curio cabinet. They were all so pristine and perfect and it reminded her of beautiful spring days when she'd stand there carefully dusting the china while Dudley played outside.

The mirror seemed to mock her and the lighting only accentuated the scars that covered her limbs. Anger and pain flooded through her and she gave in to it, kneeling on the floor and screaming until her throat was raw. Glass shattered and the room shook, but Mary was lost in the deep loathing that was not her own. All she felt was pain and rage.

Mary grabbed the largest vase and flung it at the mirrored wall. It shattered into a million pieces and Mary stood there for a moment, looking at the destruction she'd caused.

"Your bloody well useless aren't you?" Mary screamed at her reflection. "Look at the opportunity you've been given? What have you done with it other than get yourself hurt and muck up everything else?"

The silver band on her arm glinted in the torchlight.

"And this double effing thing!" Mary dug her fingernails under the magical cuff. "Argh!"

Her arm bled and stung from her abuse, but the cuff didn't budge. The ache only persisted to get worse and Mary knew she'd have to scrape out what little healing paste she had left just to patch herself up.

What felt like hours later, Mary finally came back to reality only to be surrounded by destruction. Despite it all, she felt better. Voldemort's emotions were far back in her mind and she no longer felt like she was being ripped apart at the vase had no fault in anything and she'd broken it simply because she could. With a wave of her wand she repaired it and sent it flying back to its place on the shelf, feeling tired and drained.

It was the dinner hour, but she didn't feel much like eating, not after everything else. Instead she went to the common room and began tackling the pile of homework that was waiting for her, knowing that there was at least something she could do to bide her time until fate interrupted her life once more.

* * *

The castle was spick and span by the next evening and many of the portraits were loudly complaining from their dust free frames as the trio walked out of the castle to meet the contingent of new students.

"If it isn't the ickle trio." George ambled up between Ron and Hermione, putting an arm around each.

Fred put his arm around Mary. "Are you looking forward to seeing your little Krummy?"

"Thrilled!" Mary laughed, slipping a lit dungbomb into Fred's pocket. "Gotta go, Gred, Forge!"

Ron and Hermione darted down the steps just as it went off, leaving the Twins scrambling to find the source of the foul smell. Mary kept up with her brisk pace, hoping to find the best place to see the Durmstrang ship arrive. Ron and Hermione followed her to the long bridge where groups of students were gathering.

"This is where the first years arrive!" Ron looked around in confusion. "Why are we here, Mary?"

"You'll see." Mary cut a smile at her friends.

"Has Viktor told you?" Hermione asked, looking extremely curious.

"Any minute now." Mary grabbed hold of the railing.

And then there it was, the crow's nest of the Durmstrang surged forth from the depths of the Black Lake, quickly moving toward the docks. The people around her screamed in delight as the ship made port and red garbed students walked up the stone path.

"Everyone needs to be in the Great Hall!" Professor McGonagall called out. "Ten house points from every person still standing here within the next two minutes!"

Mary weighed the pros and cons of running down to meet Viktor, but decided it was best for her own health if she didn't lose Gryffindor any more points. Still though, she wanted at least the chance to greet her friend before she left.

"We'll pull him aside before hand," Hermione assured her, keeping a strong grip on Mary's arm. "He won't hold it against you."

"You wrote him about it, right?" Ron asked, taking his seat at the fourth year table.

"He knows." Mary sighed, rubbing her face.

Dumbledore made quick work of his speech before Filch ran forward signalling that the visiting schools were ready to be introduced. While Mary had Harry's memories to go by, nothing beat seeing it happen in real time. Her heart still raced when the two other schools were introduced along with Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff, who went up to the head table, while Dumbledore instructed that the students of both schools make themselves at home at whatever table they wished to dine at.

"Here he comes!" Ron wheezed out.

Mary stood so Viktor could see her and ignored the gasps and whispers as he made his way to the fourth year table.

"Is good to see you." Viktor pulled her into a quick hug.

"You too." Mary dragged him over to the space Ron made at the table. "Viktor, this is my family away from the chaos of my godfathers. Everybody, Viktor."

"Good to meet you." Viktor nodded quickly, but seemed ill at ease with the blatant staring and gawking that her yearmates had succumbed to.

"I'm Hermione Granger," Mary breathed a sigh of relief as Hermione extended her hand to Viktor and welcomed him to the table.

"Weasley." Ron squeaked out. "Ron Weasley."

"I have heard of you both." Viktor smiled at them.

"I'm so sorry I can't stay after the Feast." Mary said with a slight pang of regret. "I really am."

"You must pay your respects." Viktor looked down, suddenly very serious. "It is nothing to apologize for."

"Thanks for understanding." Mary let out a breath of relief, piling food onto her plate. "I'll be back by dinner tomorrow though, I promise."

Viktor put a hand on Mary's back. "Vill you be okay?"

"I'm a tough old bird." Mary dug her hands into her pockets. "Will  _you_  be okay while I'm gone?"

"No. I think not." Viktor deadpanned. "I am in most danger."

"Ange, Katie!" Mary called out to the sixth and seventh year tables and waving the older girls over.

"Yeah, Mary?" Katie stood up and glanced at Viktor, before she followed Angelina to the fourth year table.

"Will you two keep Viktor from being mauled and maimed while I'm gone tonight?" Mary pleaded with them, ignoring the way Viktor was staring at the two other girls in embarassed shock. "Maybe enlist a few friends?"

"We've got this." Angelina nodded resolutely, sticking her hand out. "I'm Angelina Johnson. This is Katie Bell. Gryffindor Chasers."

"Viktor Krum," he shook their hands.

"We'll protect your innocence, virtue, and anything else you want us to." Katie giggled. "Unless you _don't_  want us to."

Viktor looked shell shocked and Mary intervened, rethinking her plan. "Maybe the Twins could-"

"We're on it, Sis," George appeared out of nowhere.

"We'll keep your foreign friend entertained." Fred finished.

Mary turned back to Viktor. "Maybe it'd be best if you just stayed on the ship tonight."

"I agree." Viktor let out a laugh before digging into his meal with a gusto that was only surpassed by Ron.

Sometime later, once the golden plates were clean and gleaming and pudding was well over, McGonagall interrupted their reunion by walking up to the table with pursed lips and looking wholly irritated. "Potter, Weasley, Granger, it's time for you to go."

Mary put a hand on Viktor's shoulder as she stood. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He didn't respond to her, but to Hermione and Ron. "Look after her."

"We will." Hermione nodded resolutely.

A few moments later, Mary grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the roaring fire of McGonagall's office. "12 Grimmauld Place!"

The Floo spat her out in the overly bright white sitting room, and Mary winced as Padfoot bounded toward her in dog form, knocking her to the ground.

"Bloody hell, Snuggly," Mary hugged the massive black dog. "I'm thinking obedience school this summer. Muggle doggie obedience school. Get your manners back on track."

Padfoot transformed into Sirius who took a few steps back in horror. "You wouldn't!"

Mary looked around innocently. "Or maybe the veterinarian."

"That's just cruel, Mary Jane." Remus laughed as he waved his wand over her, Ron and Hermione to remove the soot. "At least take him to the groomer first."

Mary grimaced and backed away from her godfather. "Good gracious you reek, Siri! What on earth have you been doing? Other than showering, of course."

Sirius looked scandalised. "Research! Dumbledore has me looking up a few things and it's taking up most of my time."

Mary waved her wand at Sirius and performed a few strong freshening charms. "That might hold for a minute or two, you really need to back off the research and take a shower though. At least tell me you've both been feeding yourselves?"

"Kreacher has been taking care of bad master and his pet." Kreacher ambled into the room. "Kreacher will not let Mistress Mary's guardians starve."

"Thank you, Kreacher." Mary bowed her head to the old elf, then turned to put her hand on Remus' arm. "You're still the pet?"

"Don't start in, Mary Jane. I catch enough hell from Sirius." Remus rolled his eyes in obvious amusement.

"Kreacher, dear." Mary leaned down to the elf's eye level. "If Sirius doesn't bathe before bed, please do whatever you must to get him clean. Maybe a bubblebath and some harsh scrubbing."

"As young Mistress asks." Kreacher bowed lowly, a glint in his large eyes.

Sirius growled under his breath. "Alright you three, I suspect you have your own mischief to get up to. Try to make an early night of it. It's Dobby's turn at breakfast, so make sure you're ready by at least noon."

"Breakfast at noon?" Hermione asked, looking around in confusion.

"We don't do mornings here." Mary laughed at her friends confusion. "Or at least Sirius doesn't. Moony will sleep for days if allowed, so it's usually a free for all on when meals are served."

"I see." Hermione said with pursed lips. "We're still planning to make the Feast tomorrow, right?"

"We'll have you there in time." Remus put a hand on her shoulder. "Now off with you three. You have no need to waste your time with us old folk."

"Speak for yourself!" Sirius ran a hand through his greasy dark hair. "Yeah, I need to have a shower."

Mary, Ron and Hermione played chess and Exploding Snap in her room. But after they bored of that, they opened up the Marauders Map, watching it intently before finally passing out on the large bed just as the sun rose in the distance.

* * *

Despite the fact she'd taken Dreamless Sleep the night before, Mary still woke before anyone else. Hermione'd stolen the entire duvet and Ron was curled up in a ball on his side of the bed. Mary was left freezing in between them until the potion had worn off enough to rouse from her slumber. She quickly donned a robe and grabbed another blanket to cover up Ron before walking quietly out of her room.

Dobby greeted her with a hug the second she walked into the kitchen. "Dobby is so happy that Mary Potter is here!"

"Happy to be here, Dobby." Mary rubbed the elf's back. "How've you been? Sirius and Remus treating you okay?"

"They has both been very good." Dobby nodded. "And they have been working very hard for Headmaster Dumbledore. Mary Potter would be proud."

"Really?" Mary's interest was peaked, but she wanted to act like she knew what he was talking about. "Which task are they tackling, Dobby?"

"Oh they is looking for rare magical artifacts." Dobby nodded his head, making his long ears flap around wildly.

"Oh that one," Mary said after a moment, trying to collect herself. "I can't remember. Which one were they looking for last?"

"Something of Lady Ravenclaw's." Dobby leaned forward and whispered. "Dobby has never heard of it."

Mary's breath caught in her throat. He knew. Dumbledore knew about the Horcruxes and he was already going after them. Had he already contacted Horace Slughorn and forced the old wizard into confessing his darkest memory? Was Dumbledore simply going off of instinct?

The strong urge to find Sirius and Remus and tell them everything was in the forefront of her mind, but Mary shoved it aside. If she told them, they would go straight to Dumbledore, and while she trusted the headmaster with almost anything, this case wasn't one of them. He would have her and her godfathers Obliviated or worse. Dumbledore would never trust her to do the right thing.

"I hope they find it." Mary patted Dobby's shoulder numbly. "Let's get to breakfast, shall we?"

Mary was still on edge later that evening when Sirius placed the Portkey in front of her. Ron and Hermione stood nearby, both melancholy and quiet.

"Alright then," said Sirius with a strained voice. "Everybody hold tight and we'll get going."

Mary placed her fingers on the old plate, cringing as the feeling of being slung around from the inside out accosted her. Luckily, Remus caught her before she could land in the nearby mudpuddle and quickly cast a water repelling charm on her cloak.

"Nasty evening." Ron shook out his wet hair, looking around at the brick alleyway. "Where are we?"

"Next to the church in Godric's Hollow." Mary replied quietly. "It's the best place to Portkey or Apparate to as it has little traffic."

"It's also close to our destination." Sirius added in a dark tone.

They followed him out into the quaint town and around the large building before turning left and walking through the gate. Mary stayed a few steps back with Ron and Hermione, letting Sirius and Remus lead the way. She'd said all she needed to last year when she visited, and no she was just there to support her godfathers. Ron and Hermione had only tagged along at Sirius' request as he felt that Mary'd needed the support, but in truth, she'd have preferred that they stayed at Hogwarts so they didn't miss out on the fun surrounding the Tournament.

Mary stopped at the foot of the graves, a bitter taste in her mouth as Remus waved his wand and produced a small wreath of snowdrops. She wondered if it was just the first flower he thought of or if it held any significance.

"Thirteen years, Prongs," Sirius whispered as he knelt down in the mud beside the grave. "It feels like centuries ago. And it feels like yesterday."

Mary took a few steps back, standing between her friends. Would Ron and Hermione mourn her when she was gone? It felt wrong to think of them like that. Ron and Hermione both had bright futures ahead of them. She could see Ron being the one whose great mind for strategy brought the Chudley Cannons out of their funk, and for Hermione there was no limit to what her best friend could do. No, she didn't want them to remember her with sadness.

"Come on," Mary whispered to her friends, grabbing them by the arms as she guided them back out of the cemetery.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, keeping her head down to avoid the torrential rainfall. "Shouldn't we tell Sirius and Remus?"

"They'll understand." Mary replied, picking up her pace.

"Look!" Ron said as they reached the statue in the centre of the town. "It's you!"

"Yeah," Mary tried not to look directly at the monument of her parents, but couldn't help but slow down as they walked past it. "It's beautiful."

The statue was only a precursor to their true destination. The crumpled and dilapidated house was wholly sad in a way that mirrored the weather.

"Is this-" Hermione started, her breath catching.

"My home." Mary placed her hand on the stone wall.

"I didn't think it'd be so-" Ron trailed off, looking at the damage with a look of shock that made him seem paler than usual.

"Broken." Hermione finished, grabbing Mary's arm. "Oh, Mary."

Mary peered over her shoulder to see her godfathers watching from a distance and felt a sense of relief. That was until a crouched figure toddled up to the gate and placed a pot of lilies on the ledge. The woman arranged the flowers with aged hands and then looked up in surprise.

"Can you children see the house?" The old woman took a step toward them.

"It was my parents' home." Mary said gently, pulling her cloak back to reveal her face.

"You can't be!" The woman put her hand over her heart in shock. "Oh but it is!"

Mary knew Bathilda Bagshot only from memories, but what few moments she could recall were far from good. Luckily, this Bathilda didn't seem to possessed by a snake. Or at least Mary hoped she wasn't.

"Mary Potter," Mary extended her hand.

"I'd know you anywhere, child, and I'm Tildy to you." Bathilda grasped her hand in a firm grip. "I changed your nappies when you weren't but a wee thing, so I don't want you calling me any different."

"These are my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Mary introduced them.

"Wonderful to meet you. Come along now, let's get out of this nasty weather." Bathilda said, waving into the distance. "Your godfather is likely wondering why I'm keeping you dithering around with it pouring down like this."

Mary looked over her shoulder to see Sirius and Remus following after them at a quick pace, but didn't have time to do much else as the slick stones under her feet and Bathilda's brisk pace took up most of her concentration. Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, were constantly looking to her and each other in question and only gave in when Mary shook her head at them.

"Here we are." Bathilda opened the door to her home and waved them inside, casting drying spells on their cloaks and only waiting until Sirius and Remus entered to shut the door. "Shoes off. Cloaks on the rack please. And, Black, tell me why this group of youngsters aren't in school?"

"Oh, Batty," Sirius put his arm around the elder woman's shoulders. "You remember me!"

"Of course I do, you nitwit!" Bathilda batted at him with a weathered hand. "How could I forget the boy who set my hedges on fire and nearly killed my cat? And I have half a mind to beat you within an inch of your life for that stunt you pulled!"

"Which one, Madame Bagshot?" Remus asked kindly.

"You know the one, Remus Lupin!" Bathilda stalked toward him, wagging her finger at his face. "The one that got your friend here locked up in Azkaban!"

The mood soured almost instantly and Mary could see that Bathilda hadn't anticipated such a reaction.

"Well, now that I've killed the mood. I'll go and get tea ready." Bathilda said quickly, wringing her hands. "A warm drink on a cold day does the soul plenty good. And I can't think of a time I needed tea more."

"I can take care of that, ma'am." Mary said gently. "If you'll tell me the way to the kitchen."

Bathilda patted her arm and pointed down the hall. "It's that way, child. I thank you. Since my house elf died I've had little company, so if you find it in a state the fault lies solely with me."

"I'm sure it's just fine." Mary replied, taking off down the hall with Ron and Hermione at her back.

The moment they reached the large dusty kitchen, Hermione set forth on a tirade of questions. "That's Bathilda Bagshot? The Bathilda Bagshot? And she lives here? This is amazing, Mary!"

"Who?" Ron asked, sitting down at the worn table.

"Bathilda Bagshot!" Hermione hissed. "She wrote Hogwarts: A History!"

Mary opened and closed cabinet doors until she found what she was looking for. Casting a quick-boil spell on the kettle, she then summoned six cups and saucers onto the table, ignoring her friends her were still arguing. Mary though, was lost in thought, remembering Harry's meeting with Miss Bagshot. At least she didn't have to deal with seeing the poor woman split in two by Voldemort's snake. If Mary had anything to say about it, she'd make damn sure that Miss Bagshot lived out the rest of her life in peace.

"Oh, imagine the stories she could tell us! And everything she's learned!" Hermione gushed, seeming as though she was ready to run into the drawing room and interrogate the elderly witch.

"There we are." Mary placed all of the necessary equipment on the tray and winced when raised voices sounded from the front room. "Let's get in there before Miss Bagshot hexes the pants off Padfoot and Moony."

Hours later, Mary's ears were still burning from the stories Bathilda had to share. The woman spared no one in her recounting of events and there were times that even Remus and Sirius looked embarrassed as Bathilda spoke of some of their more dastardly acts.

"I really do hate to cut this short, Tildy," Remus interrupted her. "But we promised to have the kids back before the Feast."

"It's the Tournament this year, eh?" Bathilda's eyes glinted. "Always wanted to see one of those. They banned them long before I was born, you see. Well, you children best be off then. Black, Lupin, feel free to drop by anytime. I don't get many visitors these days."

"We'll be back, Tildy." Remus enveloped the small woman in a hug. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Don't mention it, child." She patted his cheek. "Come here, Black."

Sirius laughed and embraced Bathilda with a smile on his face. "I'll keep in contact, Batty."

Bathilda whipped out her wand and sent a spell at Sirius that had him clutching his rear and yelping as he ran back outside. "I told you not to call me 'Batty'!"

"Sorry, Tildy!" Sirius clutched his backside, jumping in place as he looked to Remus for help. "Can we just go now?"

Remus pulled the Portkey from his pocket as Mary, Ron and Hermione said their goodbyes. "Twenty seconds."

Mary followed her friends and placed her hand on the small plate. Within moments she was tossed out on the floor of the Grimmauld Place dining room. Ron and Hermione both made a better job of the landing and quickly helped her to her feet.

"I hate that feeling." Mary dusted off her cloak.

"Get changed as quickly as you can." Remus urged them toward the stairs. "Minerva is expecting you before the Feast."

The three rushed up the stairs and Ron took his leave at the bathroom to change into his school robes while Mary and Hermione changed in her room. Mary shoved all of her needed supplies into her pack and then grabbed her mirror from the bedside table.

"We better hurry." Hermione handed Mary the extra clothes she'd brought. "We don't want to miss the champions being announced. Oh who do you think will get it? Angelina put her name in. And I heard Cedric Diggory did too. Do you think Viktor will be picked?"

"It's likely." Mary sighed, wanting nothing more than to not talk about the champions.

Still though, she'd kept a careful eye on the map and there was absolutely no evidence that any one had tampered with it, so it gave her a fair amount of hope that she'd be able to enjoy the contest as merely a bystander.

A few minutes later Mary let out a breath as she hugged her godfathers and stepped back into the Floo. "Bye, Moony, Snuggly."

"We'll see you at Yule." Sirius countered, keeping her hands on her shoulders. "And we expect you to mirror call at least every other night. Ron, Hermione, you keep her to that."

"Take care of yourselves." Moony said to the three of them.

With Hermione on her left side and Ron on her right, they Floo'ed to McGonagall's office. The two kept Mary from flying face first into the rug and she was able to stand straight and dust off her robes without making a complete fool out of herself.

"Leave your things here," McGonagall stood from behind her desk. "The Feast will be starting shortly and I have little doubt that the meal itself will be grand."

Mary dropped her pack and followed the Deputy Headmistress to the lavishly decorated Great Hall. McGonagall left them at the fourth year table with barely a word, before making her way up to the head table that was fully occupied by both the standard Hogwarts professors, Madame Maxime, Professor Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, and Bartemius Crouch.

After a quick check of the map to make sure that everyone was exactly who they claimed to be, Mary dug into her meal, glancing up every now and then to take in the atmosphere. The Durmstrang students now had their own table and Viktor was sitting at the end of it looking forlorn, making Mary wonder what happened while she was gone. Fleur was at the Beauxbatons table looking down at her food with a glum expression. Either she didn't like the food or there was something else going on.

Mary kept her head down and her eyes on the map all through Dumbledore's speech and the unveiling of the Goblet of Fire, only putting it away when Dumbledore announced that it was time for the Champions to be chosen.

The blue flames in the Goblet flashed a blood red and Dumbledore plucked the smoking strip of parchment in the air. "The Champion for Durmstrang is: Viktor Krum!"

Mary clapped along with everyone else, watching her friend smile and wave as he walked into the antechamber.

The Goblet spit out another name and the room silenced as Dumbledore read it. "The Beauxbatons Champion is: Fleur Delacour!"

The Beauxbatons contingent cheered the loudest as the tall thin girl smiled proudly and walked out.

Mary glanced over at the Hufflepuff table, watching as a few of Cedric's friends gripped his shoulders in anticipation. She didn't want him to be chosen, and looking around at the remaining students, there wasn't a single one that she would put forth to have to compete in the Tournament. Sure they were brave enough and smart enough, but it was already too much knowing that Viktor and Fleur were already obligated to participate. It was too dangerous.

The Goblet flashed again and Mary closed her eyes, making a silent wish to anyone that'd listen that whoever was chosen would come through it unscathed and that for once, Harry's memories would be wrong.

"Mary Potter." Dumbledore's stunned voice echoed through the silent hall and Mary opened her eyes in shock. "Mary Potter!"

Mary stood on shaky legs, eyes on the Headmaster, while the whispers echoed around her. Hermione had a firm grip on her arm and Mary numbly peeled her friend's fingers away with trembling hands. Head up and vowing not to show her fear, Mary walked pointedly to the antechamber. Her heart raced, pounding against her rib cage as she collapsed on the step just inside the doorway. She felt like she couldn't breathe. What had she missed? Who put her name in the Goblet?

"Mary?" Viktor walked over and sat down on the step. "What is wrong? Are we needed?"

Mary opened her mouth, but only a wheezing sound came out. She didn't even have the chance to formulate a reply before the door burst open and the Professors and judges rushed in aiming straight at her.

Dumbledore pulled Mary to her feet, his eyes boring into hers and Mary had to push down the urge to look away.  _Doesn't he realize how dangerous I am?_  She wasn't convinced that Voldemort knew about their connection, and she hoped that he'd never figure it out. Still though, she had to keep her wits about her.

"Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" The aged headmaster asked, but his blue eyes shown that he knew the truth.

This was all an act on his part. It was an act that would prove her innocence to both the judges and the heads of the foreign schools.

"You know I wasn't here, sir." Mary said clearly. "I left before the Feast was over last night."

"Did you ask another student to put your name in, girl?" Mad-Eye stomped forward.

"No, sir." Mary replied as Dumbledore released her.

"I can attest to the fact that Potter was not out of my sight, Headmaster." Professor McGonagall said, her voice thick with concern. "There wasn't even a second of opportunity for her to even go near the Goblet."

"It is no matter." Madame Maxime laid her hands on Fleur's shoulders. "The Champions have been chosen."

Mary's heart caught in her throat, looking around at the group of people. Where was the other Hogwarts Champion? Where was Cedric?

"This isn't fair, Headmaster!" McGonagall said angrily. "Potter is only a Fourth Year. Surely we can convince one of the older students to take her place!"

"I'm afraid that is no longer an option." Barty Crouch stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly. "The Goblet has chosen. The oath has accepted her. I'm afraid Miss Potter has no choice but to compete lest she face the ramifications of breaking the magical contract."

"Let us get on with it then, chap." Ludo clapped his hands, looking to Barty with an excited look on his face. "Tell them about the First Task they'll be facing."

Mary tuned everyone out, staring blindly at the trophies, as they began arguing over her place in the Tournament. She felt like she was in a trance as her mind flopped between Harry's memories and the present. Harry got through it alright, didn't he? Sure the tasks weren't easy and Moody had helped quite a bit, but if things stayed the same, Mary already knew what to do. All she needed was to practice her spellwork, convince McGonagall to give back her broom, and hope that she survived.

"Come along, Potter." McGonagall placed her hand lightly on Mary's shoulder. "I'll escort you back to Gryffindor tower. No doubt your friends have worked themselves into a state over this."

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thoughts? Questions? Let me know.
> 
> A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, favorite, follow, and/or review. It means the world to me
> 
> Which day of the week do you find the most time to read? I'm looking to get back on a normal posting schedule and was thinking about either Tuesdays or Thursdays.


	26. The Hungarian Horntail

To say things calmed down over the next few days would have been a massive understatement. Sirius and Remus were on a rampage, constantly in and out of the castle trying to find a loophole to get Mary out of the Tournament. Not even Dumbledore could calm the two men long enough to stop them from going straight to the Ministry with their complaints, leaving Mary feeling torn on what to do.

"We'll get you out of this, Mary Jane." Remus hugged her tightly. "And we'll be staying in Hogsmeade, so we're close by if you need us."

She wanted to tell them that it was unnecessary, but the words died on her lips. "Thanks, Moony. I need all the support I can get."

It wasn't a lie. Although all of Hogwarts seemed to back her as a Champion, it was mainly for show. School loyalty was more important than letting Durmstrang or Beauxbatons believe they had the upper hand. Which left Mary constantly dodging and fielding questions in the corridors as she made her way to class or simply tried to get to dinner. Everyone suddenly wanted to teach her new spells or have her wear some form of their house colors. All Mary wanted to do was fade into the background so she could prepare for the First Task in peace.

Gryffindor house had likewise banded around her, vowing that they would do anything to help her not only survive, but win the Tournament, and took offense each time she'd make time to go sit with Viktor at the Durmstrang table.

"I've looked into Ilvermony," said Sirius as they walked next to the lake. "They'll take you in and you can start fifth year with the rest of them. I still haven't found a suitable house in the states, but I'll make it work. We can rent a flat if need be."

"I'm not leaving Hogwarts." Mary argued once again. "I appreciate your efforts, Sirius, but really, I'm not moving halfway around the world just because of this. I have a life here."

"You're young," Sirius ignored her. "You don't understand the dangers in front of you."

"I don't?" Mary's hackles raised. "I think I know more than anyone what kind of shitstorm I've fallen into. That doesn't mean I'm going to run away with my tail between my legs at each sign of trouble."

"Why couldn't you've been a Hufflepuff?" Sirius rubbed a hand over his tired face. "Things would be much easier if you weren't so damn Gryffindor."

Mary personally felt she was more Slytherin these days, but didn't dare voice the thought to her worn out godfather. "You'll see, Snuggly. It'll all work out. So why aren't you and Moony travelling right now? I thought you had a holiday planned."

"I'm not going anywhere with this blasted Tournament going on." Sirius growled. "Not when you're a part of it. And Dumbledore can kiss my furry arse if he thinks I'm going to run around doing his bidding while you're stuck here in a contest that could get you hurt."

Mary held back a sigh of relief. She didn't need them traipsing about the country looking for things they'd never find. Nor did she want them to end up on Voldemort's radar when he realised that someone had taken out the majority of his Horcruxes.

"I'm glad you'll be here." Mary grabbed his hand and turned toward him. "Really though, I'll be okay, Siri. I'm a lot tougher than you think. I may not get through the Tasks as well as the others, but I'll get through them. You need to believe me."

"I have faith in you, kiddo." Sirius pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Your parents would never forgive me if I let something happen to you on my watch. Hell, I'd never forgive myself."

"You can't think like that." Mary pulled away from him slightly. "They'd know you're doing the best you can to combat all of the situations I end up in."

"That's why you're going to train everyday." Sirius ordered her. "You're going to practice every spell and every tactic I've ever taught you. You're going to be just fine."

"You know it." Mary's lips pulled into a smile. "Now come on, you've got to help me convince McGonagall to give my broom back."

"You're on your own with that one." Sirius shook his head. "Minnie will give it back when she deems you deserve it and I fully back any decision she makes."

That put a damper on Mary's plans, but she knew it would all work out in the end. It had to. She didn't have any other choice.

* * *

"I think it was Warrington." Ron grumbled lowly at dinner that next night. "I bet he put your name in for a laugh and it backfired."

"He wanted to be the Hogwarts Champion." Millicent shook her head. "There's not a single upper year that I could say would rather have Potter compete than gain the fame of being a Triwizard Champion for themselves.

"Milli's right. Warrington was dead set on winning." Daphne picked at her food. "All of the upper years are pretty miffed about this. Sorry, Potter."

"I don't blame them." Mary sighed. "Not much I can do about it though."

"The Beauxbatons students seem pretty thrilled." Susan said with her glare pointed toward the group of merry blue clad students at one of the front tables. "They're acting like Hogwarts doesn't stand a chance."

"They don't know our Mary." Lavender piped up. "She's always full of surprises."

"That's not always a good thing, Lav." Mary sighed as she cut up her steak and kidney pie.

"What are we on tonight, Potter?" Katie stepped over to the table and leaned toward her. "Same room, same time?"

"Sure," Mary smiled, turning to address her year mates. "I appreciate you lot helping me out with this."

"You've got yourself out of some nasty scrapes before." Katie said confidently. "We have no doubts you'll do Hogwarts proud once more."

Which is how Mary spent almost every night for a week in an unused classroom dodging hexes, curses, charms, and random Muggle objects. Her friends, and a few rivals, held nothing back as they pelted everything they could cast or throw at her. Even Peeves showed up to lend a helping hand, and could be found floating between Fred and George, tossing fireworks and water balloons at her or anyone who looked like a good target.

"I'm never going to get this." Mary winced as she limped out of the room.

"You did brilliant, sis." George put his arm around her to let her lean on him.

Fred was on her other side, talking quietly to Lee, but turned to smirk at her. "Sorry about Peeves back there, didn't think he'd actually chuck those heavy Muggle Bludgers at you."

"Bowling balls," Mary corrected him in a dark tone. "And you'll be the one explaining why they're craters in the floor to Filch and McGonagall."

"Nah," Fred laughed, slapping her hard on the back. "It's worth it. You did great!"

"Madam Pomfrey before dinner?" George asked as they reached the main corridor.

"Can't." Mary pulled away. "McGonagall's already postponed my detention with Snape twice now. If I don't get it over with, he's likely to hex me into a million pieces."

Mary waved at the large group and grumbled and complained all the way down to the dungeons where Snape's office was located. Taking a deep breath, Mary cleared her mind and readied herself for whatever vitriol the man would present her with, before knocking on the door.

"Enter," Snape said dully from the other side of the room.

Mary opened the door and quietly stepped into the dark room, a feeling of foreboding taking over, and made her way to where the professor was bent over his desk and furiously scribbling on some poor student's essay.

Mary squared her shoulders. "Sir, I-"

"Do not dare to waste my time, Potter." Snape didn't bother looking up from his task. "In the classroom adjacent to this one there is a chalkboard with three potion recipes. I want all three completed by the dinner hour."

"Yes, sir." Mary went to the nearby door then stopped, looking over her shoulder, but thought better of saying anything else and entered the classroom.

An hour later she was starting to feel frantic and defeated as the Bruise Salve bubbled over once again while she tried to keep up with stirring her Sleeping Draught. Her antidote was on its last stages and she had less than a minute to finish stirring before she had to bottle it.

The heavy door swung open with a bang, making her jump and lose count on her stirs. "Bloody hell!"

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said simply as he strode into the room. "Ah, I see that not even first and second year potions are in your capabilities, Potter. One slapshod potion out of three? Not what I expected out of a Hogwarts Champion."

"I'd like to see you tackle all three within an hour with one arm tied behind your back." Mary snapped. " _Sir._ "

Snape cocked a brow at her cheek. "Another ten points, Potter. Let's say they're for the dimwitted inability to make use of what faculties you have."

Mary ground her teeth together in an effort not to say something irreversible as Snape vanished all of her work, leaving the table as bare as the moment she walked in.

"Detention next Saturday." Snape sneered. "There is a sink full of dirty cauldrons in the back. Have them clean before you leave for dinner."

Mary heaved in a breath as Snape's robes billowed out the door behind him. She wasn't going to let the anger get the best of her, she thought as she walked back to the pile of cauldrons. Not today.

She'd barely begun to scrub the first one when it disappeared from her hand, landing on the shelf above her sparkling clean and dry. Mary stepped back, looking around as the other cauldrons began copying the first.

"Annie?" Mary whispered in confusion. "Micky?"

Annie the house elf popped into existence a few feet away, her green cheeks reddening at Mary's curious look. "Annie wants to be helping."

"I appreciate the thought, Annie," Mary said kindly, "but this was my punishment. I should finish it."

Annie grinned in a crafty way. "This is to be repaying you for your help in the kitchens."

All at once the remaining cauldrons floated into the air and stacked themselves neatly on the shelves. Annie snapped her fingers and disappeared from the room, leaving Mary torn on what to do. If she left now, Snape would surely know that she hadn't completed the task herself and Annie would likely get into trouble.  _I can't have that._

Not wanting to just sit idly by as the clock ticked away, Mary pulled out the necessary ingredients for the three potions and began prepping them. She cut, shredded, or crushed everything that was needed. And then worked out a timing schedule so that they didn't overlap.

When Mary walked out of the classroom just as dinner ended, she had three perfect potions. Taking extra care in bottling and labeling each one, Mary walked out, leaving proof of her victory on Snape's desk and feeling better about herself. She could do it. If she really put her mind to it, having one non-magical arm wasn't much of a hindrance, it was all about timing. She only wished she could see Snape's face when he saw her completed work.

It didn't hurt that she kept a few vials of each to keep in her trunk either. Any more training sessions like the last and she'd be needing to become a Potions Master just to keep up with her injuries.

* * *

Only Snape was in a fierce mood in class the following day as Mary worked on her antidote. He could only bite out a short string of insults at her before Colin insisted that Mary follow him to where the other Champions and Ollivander were waiting in a small room off the Entrance Hall.

"Our Hogwarts Champion!" Ludo Bagman clapped his hands and approached her with a beaming smile. "Come along, Mary. Let's get your wand checked out and maybe you can give old Rita over there a moment to interview you."

Mary cut her eyes to the window where Rita was sitting next to Sirius and blushing profusely as her magical quill scribbled away.

Mary looked over at Bagman. "I think she's busy."

"Hit it off, those two have." Ludo winked at her.

"Isn't that lovely?" Mary almost growled, watching as the blonde laid a hand on her godfather's knee.

"Mary," Viktor's voice broke her out of her scheming. "You must meet Fleur. She has been asking questions."

"About me?" Mary looked over at Fleur, who appeared to be quite pleased with the attention Ollivander was showing her.

"Yes," Viktor intoned. "She is curious."

Mary stood back and waited, barely sparing Sirius a glance as he moved to her side as Mr. Ollivander examined Viktor's wand and waved her forward. Mary had her wand in hand, holding it out carefully towards him.

"Blackthorne and Thestral hair." Ollivander gazed at the wand lovingly. "One of my grandfather's creations. I honestly never thought it'd find a wielder. It's rather fickle isn't it?"

"It's um- a little picky?" Mary handed over the dark wand. "I think the anti-theft charm might be active."

"Quite so." Ollivander's lips quirked but he made no move to touch the wand. "Cast something, Mary Potter."

" _Papilio adducere_ ," Mary whispered, causing five bright blue butterflies to escape from her wand.

"Very nice." Ollivander took a last look at her wand. "I say it's still in excellent condition. You still have the Holly wand?"

Mary reached down to her calf where her beloved wand was in it's holster. "Never go anywhere without it, sir."

"A wise choice." Ollivander stared into the distance.

"Photos!" Ludo cried as Ollivander stood to leave. "We must get photos! Rita, are you ready?"

Rita was starry eyed and half dazed as she beckoned her photographer over. "Four sets, Bozo, let's get the Champions first."

Sirius grabbed Mary's arm and pulled her aside, waving his wand over her. "There now, you look quite smart."

"Since when did that matter?" Mary hissed, tugging at the sleeve of her robe. "And what the bloody hell are you doing with Skeeter?"

"Running interference." Sirius barked out a laugh. "You can thank me later, kiddo. Now get up there. I have to head back home."

Bozo, the photographer, instructed Mary to stand on the left, with Viktor between her and Fleur. Mary hated having her picture taken, and she hated posing for them like some kind of show dog even more. And looking to her left, she realised that Viktor and Fleur were likewise displeased with Rita's handling of the situation.

Half an hour later, the three Champions stood to the side as Bozo finished up photographing the judges.

"Fleur, Mary." Viktor introduced them. "Mary, Fleur."

Fleur smiled brightly and extended her hand. "Enchanté."

"Nice to meet you too." Mary grinned. "How are you liking Hogwarts?"

Fleur looked around as though failing to find something nice to say. "It is a lot to get used to. Very different from Beauxbatons. We do not 'ave ghost and Poltergeist, you see. And this one keeps following me around."

"Peeves?" Mary confirmed. "I'll have a talk with him. He's probably just curious about you."

"Good." Fleur nodded stiffly. "I have hexed him twice, but it does not seem to stop him."

"Oh my," Mary winced, thinking it likely that Peeves was infatuated with Fleur. "In that case I'll have Sirius talk to him. They know each other quite well."

"Are you prepared for the First Task?" Fleur asked her and Viktor. "I mean, do you have any idea what we will be facing?"

"Daring and courage." Mary shrugged her shoulders, trying not to give away the unease she felt at misleading them. "That could mean facing any number of things, or just one very frightening target."

"We will do fine," said Viktor.

"'Ave you prepared, Mary?" Fleur asked with worry thick in her voice. "Do you need help? We will help you. You are far too young to be competing."

"I appreciate the offer." Mary replied. "I might even take you up on it."

"The dinner hour is upon us." Dumbledore stood from his seat next to Madame Maxime, calling everyone's attention. "Thank you all for your participation. You are free to leave."

Mary walked out with the others, thinking about Harry's version of events. He'd had no one to keep him out of Rita's claws and had been made a laughing stock because of her. Fleur disregarded him completely and saw him as nothing more than inept. Was Fleur's change of attitude due to Mary being the only Hogwarts Champion? Or was it because she was a girl? Either way, Mary was glad she had one less thing to worry about.

* * *

**November 21st, 1994**

Another week passed by in much the same vein as before. Rita's article in the Daily Prophet skimmed over the details of the Tournament and the Champions, with Mary's name being mentioned twice. Once as her being the Hogwarts Champion and a question to the readers as to how her name managed to come out of the Goblet of Fire when she was only a Fourth Year.

The main article though, was an in depth and highly fictitious piece on Sirius Black and the trials and tribulations he'd been through over the past thirteen years. Mary grimaced at the thought of her godfather's reaction to the over dramatised interview and set the paper down so that the image of Sirius in Azkaban was no longer staring at her.

"Skeeter is a real piece of work." Hermione nibbled on a bit of toast, bumping the paper with her elbow so that it wasn't too close to her plate. "Sirius will be furious."

"I think he can handle it." Ron shovelled more mash onto his plate. "What shops are we visiting first?"

"I need to stop by Scrivenshaft's and Dervish and Banges." Hermione pushed her plate away. "How about you, Mary?"

"If you two don't mind, I've offered to show Viktor around Hogsmeade." Mary said quietly, hoping the others at the table wouldn't hear.

"Well that's alright then." Ron put his napkin down, thrilled at the prospect of Viktor joining them. "Reckon we'll have to go by Zonko's too. Think Fred and George have him half converted into a prankster."

"They really shouldn't-" Hermione looked torn between being appalled and amused by the turn of events. "But I guess you won't mind, will you Mary?"

"What's her opinion got to do with it?" Ron asked as they made their way out of the Great Hall. "Krum's his own person."

"I was just saying that Mary's used to it!" Hermione added defensively. "I doubt she'd mind another prankster around."

"I think it's funny that they get on so well." Mary pulled her winter cloak on. "It's a good thing though. He doesn't have many friends at Durmstrang."

As though the weather was mirroring his mood, Viktor was dour and subdued when the four of them walked into the small wizarding town. Hermione kept a string of conversation going, always trying to include him, but barely received more than short answers and nods.

"Chocolate!" Mary blurted out when they were passing by Honeydukes. "That's what we need."

"Yeah, I could restock." Ron dug his hands into the pockets of his cloak.

Hermione grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You two go on ahead. We'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks in an hour."

"But I-" Ron started.

"Let's go, Ron!" Hermione dragged him away.

Mary was confused as to why her friends were leaving her but let it go when the door to Honeydukes opened and the smell of sweets wafted toward them. "You've never tried the chocolate from here, have you?"

"No." Viktor kept his head down.

Determined to break him out of his mood, Mary sprinted around the busy shop, keeping Viktor close by as she raided their supply of sweets. She laid all of her purchases on the counter and paid, waiting for the clerk to box everything up before she pulled Viktor away from a group of Fifth Year girls that looked ready to tackle him.

"I've got somewhere I want to show you." Mary said as they pushed their way down the street.

Viktor grunted a reply, but seemed to be keeping quiet as long as others were around.

"Here we are." Mary announced, sitting on a large rock that faced the Shrieking Shack. "Quietest place in all of Hogsmeade."

Viktor glanced around and visibly relaxed upon seeing that they were well and truly alone. "Vhy are ve here?"

Mary sighed, dug through the box and pulled out a bar of Honeydukes' finest. "Eat this and then we'll talk."

 _Blimey, I'm starting to sound like Remus!_  It didn't matter though, because he began to speak after finishing his chocolate.

"You have good friends." Viktor played with the empty wrapper. "You are lucky."

"Surely you have a few friends at school." Mary said in a soft voice.

"I had friends before I started playing professionally." Viktor admitted. "They changed after I returned to school. They vanted money or fame for being near me. It is not true friends. Not like yours."

"What about back home?" Mary asked.

"Elena." Viktor reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "She was good friend until my acceptance to Durmstrang. She owled to congratulate me on the Tournament."

"Is she a witch?" Mary asked, hoping that she wasn't overstepping her bounds.

"Yes." Viktor smiled slightly. "She is very smart, like your Hermoninny. They are much the same."

Mary bit her lip to keep from laughing at his pronunciation, but luckily her curiosity was stronger than her amusement. "Did she not go to Durmstrang?"

"She is Muggle-born." Viktor said lowly. "Durmstrang vould not accept her."

"That's bullshit!" Mary exclaimed.

"It is." Viktor waved his wand at the gold wrapper airplane until it floated into the air and began flying around them.

"Well, she's writing you, so obviously she's not holding a grudge." Mary tried to be optimistic. "How's she doing?"

"Good." Viktor finally smiled. "Her mother owns a dress shop in Sofia - vhere I used to live - and they run it together."

"Well, write her back." Mary suggested. "You'll be out of school by the end of the year. No need to let some stupid rules dictate your life."

"You are right." Viktor sighed. "I vill reply after I return to the ship."

"There now." Mary punched his shoulder in a playful manner. "How about we get back to the Three Broomsticks before they call out a search party?"

Viktor was lost in thought the entire walk back, but Mary wasn't bothered by his contemplative silence. If anything, it gave her hope that her newest friend would repair a longstanding friendship. Personally, she didn't think she'd have got as far as she did without Ron and Hermione at her side. She needed them to keep her grounded and sane. The scary part was, they didn't truly need her for anything. In fact, they'd be a sight better off without her there to constantly put them in danger.

"There ya are, Mary!" Hagrid waved her over to where he was sitting at the bar with Moody and Bagman.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary spotted Moody pulling his wand out. Hers was in her hand in an instant, but she had no need to use it as Madam Rosmerta had her own wand pointed at Mad-Eye's back.

"You cast so much as a tickling jinx in my pub and you'll be out on your ear, Moody." Madam Rosmerta ground out.

"Aye." Moody laughed, putting his wand away. "Nice work, Potter, glad to see you aren't letting your guard down."

"Never, sir." Mary smiled and turned to her companion, trying to alleviate the tension that was radiating off of Viktor. "You mind finding Ron and Hermione and letting them know we're here?"

"Yes." Viktor said gruffly, giving Moody one last dark look before he stalked toward the back of the pub.

"You've got to come by me cabin and help me feed the Abraxans this evenin'." Hagrid leaned toward her. "Bring Ron, Hermione, and that Cloak of yer dad's."

"I'll be there." Mary smiled and patted his arm. "See you later, Hagrid. Mr. Bagman. Professor."

Which is how Mary ended up covered in mud and smelling like a brewery later that night. The Abraxans were tetchy and didn't take kindly to Hagrid's attempt at getting them to drink Firewhisky. Hermione and Ron had to talk their large tipsy friend into letting go of his bottle of Ogden's finest before they could even contemplate getting him back into his cabin.

"Can' go just yet, yeh need to go into the fores'." Hagrid slurred. "Olympe was supposed to 'ave met me."

"She'll be here, Hagrid." Mary patted his arm. "You just need to sober up first. Maybe take a bath or something that will wake you up."

"Damn that Bagman." Hagrid grumbled as he stumbled over to the water trough, upsetting another Abraxan. "Oh budge off."

"Maybe we should just go?" Ron backed away, looking toward the gate of the paddock. "I don't feel like being trampled tonight."

"I agree." Hermione clenched her jaw as she watched the huge winged horses become more agitated. "But we can't just leave Hagrid in this state."

"They won't hurt us." Mary said with far more confidence than she felt. "Let's just empty out those bottles of whisky and hope they like it better than Ogden's."

The three of them filled four separate barrels with the foul smelling liquid and set them out in various areas of the paddock before going back to check on Hagrid. He seemed to be in better shape, but was still ambling around aimlessly.

"We need to get back to the castle before curfew!" Hermione told Hagrid in a loud voice that made Mary grimace.

"No," said Hagrid. "Yeh three need to go east into the Forest. I can' tell yeh. It's against the rules. Just go."

Mary knew what was lurking in the forest. She knew why Hagrid wanted them to go, and in truth, she wanted to see it for herself. This was one of those memories that she wanted her own version of. Harry's memories were still vivid in her mind, but they weren't  _hers_.

"Okay." Mary pulled her father's cloak from her pocket. "I'll go."

"Curfew is less than an hour away." Hermione argued. "I can't afford another detention."

"I'll be along shortly." Hagrid said as he toweled off his beard. "McGonagall will understand. Don' ask me to say more. I can't. It's important though. Just yeh be sure to stay under the cloak."

The three friends exchanged a look of mutual understanding. One that made Mary feel a whole lot better about the situation. None of them fancied going back into the Forbidden Forest. While they loved Hagrid, his judgement wasn't always the best, and they were usually the ones that came out worse for wear.

"If it's more spiders I'm going to kill him." Ron muttered as they carefully trudged along the tiny path headed east. "Of all the ruddy stupid things we've done, walking into the Forest of our own free will has to take the cake."

"We'll be okay." Mary tried to reassure him as she kept her wand up to light the path. "Hagrid wouldn't lead us into danger intentionally."

"He wouldn't." Hermione agreed. "But he thinks differently than we do. He's also not threatened by the many creatures in here. We can't think of him as being an unbiased party. We're all likely to get detention for this."

"I'd be happy to have detention if it means we're not dead." Ron said, his voice becoming higher with every few steps. "Why are we even out here anyway? Hagrid was too plastered to be speaking sense!"

"He was drinking with Bagman at the Three Broomsticks." Hermione surmised. "Bagman must have let something slip about the First Task."

Mary wanted to hug her friend for her foresight, but held back, knowing that there wasn't any reason as to why she'd believe that on a whim.

"Could be," said Ron, holding another branch back so the other two could walk by without getting smacked. "We all know Hagrid can't keep a secret."

They'd barely walked another few meters when the sounds of voices grew in the distance and the orange glow of the encampment came into view.

Ron clenched his eyes shut and began muttering; "Please don't let it be spiders. Please don't let it be spiders."

"The cloak!" Mary hissed at her friends. "Hagrid said we needed it!"

Luckily the underbrush was thick enough that they didn't have to worry about their feet showing as they trudged along towards the small area where the dragon handlers were stationed.

"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed in a fierce whisper. "Dragons? Are they bloody mental? What the bleeding hell are you supposed to do with dragons?"

"No!" Hermione almost pulled the cloak off of them as she started backing away from the large ferocious creature. "Oh no! This isn't right! This can't be right!"

"Calm down." Mary told her gently. "It's okay. We're safe."

"I'm not worried about us!" Hermione gripped Mary's hand so tight that it hurt. "You can't go up against a dragon!"

"Look!" Ron pointed at the group of wizards near a small tent. "That's Charlie!"

The three of them crept as close as they could without being spotted by the dragons or their handlers and then sat down behind a hedge, watching intently as the large group of witches and wizards tried and failed to subdue the large beasts.

Ron pointed to his brother, jumping to his feet and pulling the cloak off of them. "Charlie!"

"Oh bugger it." Mary slapped a hand to her face as the second oldest Weasley son lifted his head in confusion.

"Charlie!" Ron waved his arms and jumped up and down. "Over here!"

"Hide." Hermione pulled the cloak around Mary and moved to stand next to Ron. "We'll keep you covered."

"Thanks." Mary sighed.

Charlie walked toward them confidently, but had to duck when the spray of fire the Hungarian Horntail let out burned through everything overhead. The blast shot at least thirty feet, narrowly missing three other dragon handlers and setting two tents on fire. Mary watched, transfixed, as the group worked in perfect sync to douse the flames and calm the angry dragon. Three. There were only three dragons. Mary noticed. The Swedish Short-Snout was nowhere to be found. It made sense, considering Cedric wasn't a Champion. Still though, she'd have rather faced it than the Horntail.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked as he made his way over to Ron and ruffled his brother's hair. "You lot could get me sacked for this. It's supposed to be a secret."

"But Ha-" Ron started to say.

Hermione pinched his arm, making Ron gasp. "We were out for a walk and heard the noise."

"Sure you were." Charlie let out a chuckle. "And I'm Merlin's great-Aunt Bessie."

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Ron asked. "It's not like you were on short notice. This whole thing must've been planned for ages."

"It is supposed to be a secret." Hermione bit out. "No one is supposed to know what the First Task is. Other than the judges of course."

"Can you imagine if Mum found out I was here?" Charlie grimaced. "Especially now? She'd have kittens!"

"A little warning would have been nice." Ron said. "I mean really, with Mary being in the Tournament and all. You could have at least owled."

"It was a  _secret_!" Hermione slapped Ron's arm. "Just because you have no ability to keep them doesn't mean Charlie can't."

"Cat's out of the bag now though." Charlie shrugged. "Where's Mary? I thought you three were inseparable."

Mary pulled the Cloak down so it revealed her face. "Hiya, Charlie!"

His eyes widened slightly when she pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. "Alright there, Mary?"

"Yeah," Mary looked from Charlie to the Horntail. "I guess. Don't think I have much of a choice at this point."

"All of us from the Reserve will be there at all times." Charlie assured her. "We won't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah." Mary whispered, not feeling very confident. "It'll all work out."

In truth, everything she'd tried to change over the last year and a half didn't go to plan. Each time she faced a test that Harry'd went through, she'd ended up worse for wear. And no matter what she did, things still ended up the same way.

The things she did change made it all worth it though. Sirius was free. Peter was in Azkaban where he belonged. Remus was no longer alone. Not to mention she'd successfully destroyed four Horcruxes.

Now all she had to do was survive the Triwizard Tournament and prevent Voldemort's return to the living.  _What could go wrong?_  She thought miserably.


	27. The First Task

**Nov 24th, 1994**

On that cold and foggy morning, Charlie Weasley sported yet another large burn, this one started just below his chin and extended to his left eye. Caused by none other than the Chinese Fireball who he'd been taking care of all morning. It was no cause for concern. It stung a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle. In fact, it even took his mind off the stress of the past few days.

Each and every one of the dragon keepers were tired and more than ready for the Tournament to be over. The entire camp had stayed up well into the night, meticulously going over every moment of the First Task to plan out how it would all be handled. It was something that they did every night since the announcement was made some months ago. And while Charlie and his fellow dragon-handlers were all for being cautious and prepared, it was beginning to wear on their nerves.

During these times he'd light a cigarette, lean back in his chair with his eyes closed, and listen to the wind whistling through the trees. They all knew their jobs and what was expected of them. The only issue was that dragons were rarely predictable.

Charlie stepped into the impossibly small cage that housed the Common Welsh Green to double check the heavy chain around her neck and grimaced at how tight it was. Sure, the safety of the Champions was paramount, but he really wished it wouldn't put his dragons in danger. They didn't ask for this after all. They had no say in the matter as they were portkeyed to an unknown location and left to flounder in confusion as their eggs were threatened.

"Mab all good there, Weasley?" Henry Ridgebit - Charlie's boss - asked as he walked through the camp alongside two of the Ministry wizards.

"All set." Charlie answered, running his hand down the smooth scales of the dragon's snout. "She's been dosed and ready to move."

"Fine work." Henry nodded then turned to the two men that accompanied him. "Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, you're both welcome to visually check over the dragon, her eggs, and the chains, but I ask no spells be performed as it could release her from the specialised sleeping potion."

"Don't want that, do we Barty?" The portly wizard in the snug Wimbourne Wasps robes said to his associate.

"No." Barty replied, looking intently at the caged dragon. "Let's move along, Ludo. The First Task starts in half an hour."

"Whoa!" Charlie heard Anita Brown - a co-worker - yell as the Horntail let out another burst of flames. "Keep your distance there, eh Barney!"

He locked the Welsh Green's cage and rushed over to help the others. Dani was in a fine fit of fury as the chain magically floated in the air in front of her face.

"We're never going to subdue her in time." Jones hissed as he cast another spell at the irritable dragon.

"How many times have you dosed her?" Charlie looked from the empty potion bottles to the dragon that looked well in her element of stomping around and causing chaos.

"Four full doses." Anita stepped up, wiping her brow on the sleeve of her dragonhide coat. "And she's still lively as ever."

Jones looked up in question. "Another round of stunners then?"

"It'll take all of us." Anita nodded, her jaw tight as she moved to line up.

Charlie had his wand at the ready, and aimed at the Horntail. "On three!"

Together they fired a succession of stunning spells that only seemed to make Dani angrier. Two more rounds she finally collapsed to the ground in a massive heap.

"Think we've got it right that time, eh?" Cobb - a grizzled Irishman with a portly belly and beady eyes- said. "Ol' bint won't be happy when she wakes though."

Charlie laughed, lighting a cigarette before he made his way over to the cage that now housed Dani. Anita walked in with a crate and set it beside her, unloading the eggs into the large nest that Dani had made for her babies. Puffs of smoke escaped the dragon's nostrils and her tail whipped around to curl around her eggs protectively, giving Charlie a sense of relief that the dragon was well and truly asleep.

Anita let out a sigh, fastening the shackle to the dragon's leg. "I can't wait 'til we get them back home."

"Same." Charlie nodded in agreement, tightening the chain around Dani's neck. "They weren't meant for this."

"Let's just see them safely through this shite." Anita clapped a massive hand onto Charlie's back. "Now let's go get Mab ready for her big debut."

Charlie followed the tall blonde witch to the other side of the camp where everyone was working to levitate Mab and her eggs into the arena. It was where she would stay safely in the confines of her cage until it was time for the first Champion to face her. Charlie could only hope that it was Mary. Out of the three dragons, Mab was the calmest and easiest to deal with. She rarely attacked unless necessary and was by far the easiest of the three to subdue.

"I'm vanishing the cage as soon as the whistle blows." Henry recited one more time, mainly to make sure everyone was on the same page. "Brown, Weasley, Cobb, you three are responsible for keeping watch over the eggs. The rest of you lot are with me."

"Heard!" The twenty of them chorused together.

The whistle blew and Henry waited until the last moment to cast the spell to vanish the cage and release Mab from the binds of the potion. The effects wore off instantly, leaving the dragon a bit unsettled. Mab looked around the enclosure warily, then quickly nestled around her eggs, eyes watching the crowd in trepidation. Charlie wished they wouldn't have used the real eggs, as the nesting mothers would be devastated if anything happened to them.

"Everyone in position?" Henry called as the twenty of them spread out along the edge of the arena, wands at the ready should anything go sideways.

"Our first Champion is Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons!" Ludo's boisterous voice echoed throughout the stadium.

Mab curled her body tighter around her eggs at the sound of his voice, her golden eyes scouring the area for any and all threats.

Charlie and the other dragon-handlers moved to their designated positions to try and prevent anything from going awry. The wards on the arena were designed to keep the audience protected from the flames and debris, while the chains were there to keep the dragons from getting too far away from their eggs or escaping into the sky.

The worrying part was that there was nothing to keep the dragons protected from whatever spell the champions would throw at them. And while they would have points deducted for something happening to the eggs, that wouldn't make up for the ramifications such a thing would have on the expecting mothers.

Seconds passed as Fleur ducked and dove behind the boulders while firing spells at Mab. Her incantations were non-verbal and Charlie held back a grimace each time her wand pointed at the dragon.

The effects of Fleur's spell was suddenly apparent and seemed to be working beautifully. Mab's eyelids drooped lower and lower until the trance put her into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Fleur crept closer until she had the golden egg in hand. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, but it was too soon, as Mab began to snore and let out a small burst of fire from her nostrils that sent Fleurs skirt alight with flames.

Charlie winced, knowing that the burns the young witch likely suffered wouldn't be pleasant, but he also knew that Madam Pomfrey had a fresh stock of special burn cream on hand.

"She did good, eh?" Barney - one of the veteran dragon-keepers in their group - yelled out over the din of the crowd. "Shame on the score though. Twelve points off for taking care with the dragon isn't something they should consider. You see the way she was staring into the old girl's eyes? We might need to recruit her!"

"Good luck with that!" Charlie replied, following the rest out of the enclosure as they worked to take Mab and her eggs out and bring in the Chinese Fireball, Mei, and her three eggs.

Mei was a gorgeous girl, but was prone to fits of temper and Charlie seriously worried over his charge as they brought her into the arena. This was her first clutch of eggs and she was already nervous and tetchy without the whole Tournament business going on.

The whistle blew again and Henry cast the spell to remove the dragon from the sleeping draught. Mei was disoriented and unhappy, getting up and pacing in front of her nest.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang!" Bagman announced. "Seeker of Bulgaria's Quidditch team and now Triwizard Champion!"

Krum. According to Ron and Ginny he was a good friend of Mary's, and given Sirius and Remus going on about him, Charlie thought there might be more going on between the two young Seekers. Krum was quick on his feet, Charlie would give him that, but he didn't have Fleur's graceful demeanor, nor did he have any luck with Mei.

Charlie grimaced as the spell hit Mei full in the face and caused her to let out a roar of pain that he felt to the depths of his soul. She stomped her feet and Charlie lurched forward, wand at the ready, but Anita - his partner - held him back.

"The eggs!" Charlie cried out as two of Mei's precious eggs were crushed beneath her feet.

Anita didn't budge, watching the scene with a tight face. "He will have points deducted for that."

"It's not enough." Charlie said, feeling repulsed by the whole spectacle.

Krum retrieved the golden egg while Mei stumbled around in pain and quickly left the enclosure. Charlie darted down into the enclosure and quickly reversed the spell on Mei and helped the other dragon-handlers subdue her. She was angry, distraught, and more than a little miffed at the whole ordeal. It took all twenty of them to get her pacified enough to move her out, and Charlie was the one to carefully load her last remaining egg into the metal crate beside her.

It took all of his willpower to push his own anger and indignation aside as they left Mei in the quiet corner of the camp, where she would stay in an enchanted sleep until they returned to the sanctuary. It would do her no good to be awake now anyway. At least with them waiting to wake her up back at the Reserve she would be able to fly and hunt and care for her last egg without being bothered.

"Time to get Dani." Anita squeezed his shoulder, looking back at Mei with a pained expression. "Last one then we can go home."

"Yeah." Charlie muttered, heaving in a breath.

It didn't help that Dani was the one Mary would be facing. Dani who had sent four dragon-keepers into early retirement due to injuries she'd caused. Out of all of them she was the most ruthless and she was going up against little Mary. Mary who had more scars than Charlie. It left him more fearful than he'd ever felt in his life.

There'd been no chance to warn Mary about Dani's temper.

"I'm releasing the spell as soon as we're clear." Henry warned them as they levitated Dani and her eggs into the enclosure. "That should give the next kid a chance to see ol' Dani in all of her glory and prepare for it."

Charlie swallowed hard, setting the four eggs - along with the golden one - into the nest beside the sleeping dragon. He stepped back, legs feeling like they were made of lead. Dani would be fine. He told himself. There wasn't much Mary could do to harm the cantankerous dragon. The eggs would be fine. Dani was always far too conscious of her eggs to make the same mistake young Mei had. Mary, well, Charlie could only hope that she would likewise make it out unscathed.

As soon as they were out of the arena, Henry waved his wand, releasing Dani from the spell. Awake in that instant, Dani stretched out, her head tilting and turning at every angle possible before she stood and clawed at the rocky ground beneath her.

The whistle blew at last, echoed by Dani's roar of fury. The crowd went silent as Mary stepped into the arena and quickly ducked behind the nearest rock before Dani could spot her. Charlie couldn't hear what she was saying, but watched as Mary's dark wand hit the top of her head and she quickly faded out of view.

"Superb use of the Disillusionment Charm!" Ludo Bagman said loudly. "Although it makes for a very un-entertaining time for us spectators."

Charlie leaned on the railing looking for any sign of Mary, but she was well and truly invisible. Even Dani was searching the area, great puffs of smoke escaping her nostrils as she tried to sense the newcomer who'd disappeared before her yellow eyes.

With each passing second the dragon became more and more irritated and Charlie knew that Mary was going to run out of time to get a good score. Great angry eyes twitched at the sound of the broom whistling through the air and Dani gave a loud cry that set Charlie's teeth on edge.

Anita gasped along with the crowd when Mary suddenly appeared directly beside the dragon, her hands on the golden egg, leaving her standing face to face with a very hostile mother dragon.

Charlie pointed his wand at Dani, ready to stun her should she get out of hand, but knew that any interference on his part could not only cost him his job, but could very well cause problems for Mary with the Tournament's fussy rules.

"Gracious Godric!" Ludo's whispered voice sounded over the loudspeaker. "Mary Potter is the fastest to get the egg, but even the dragon handlers are at a loss on how to get her out of there in one piece!"

Charlie grimaced as Dani roared, sending Mary's dark hair flying out of it's tie and billowing behind her. All of his fellow dragon-keepers likewise had their wands pointed at the dragon, but Charlie kept his focus on Mary.

Mary locked gazes with the deadly creature, her left hand slightly outstretched while the right clutched the egg. The stunning spell was on the edge of his lips as he watched Dani take in a deep breath. She was getting ready to kill Mary!

A loud whoosh echoed through the air and Anita sucked in a breath as Mary reached up and grasped the smooth handle of her Firebolt when it flew into her outstretched hand, letting it pull her straight up into the cold foggy sky and out of harm's way.

"Good lord!" Bagman screamed in delight. "Look at that ascent! What a way to make an exit! I can't even comprehend what we've just witnessed! Simply marvelous performance by Miss Potter! Completely flawless!"

The crowd cheered and clapped loudly as Mary flew straight into the mist.  _Bloody Brilliant!_  Charlie closed his eyes, wanting to laugh, celebrate and drink a bottle of Firewhiskey to drown out the stress of the day.

"No!" Anita shouted, lurching forward and pulling him out of his moment of relief.

Dani twisted her neck, breaking free of the chains that held her down. A roar of fury resonated through the arena, sending the crowd into hysterics. And then the dragon let out a swath of flames that shrouded her from view and made the entire enclosure glow brilliant orange.

"She'll burn through the wards!" Cobb - their head spell caster - called out. "Get everyone out of here!"

A few of their number ran towards the judges' box to warn them while the rest stayed back and fired stunning spells in quick succession at Dani's hidden form. The air crackled around them and they all lurched back when the wards shattered, releasing a plume of grey smoke into the air, and Dani's wings beat against the air like a furious drum beat.

"Brooms!" Henry shouted, mounting his Nimbus and following Dani high into the air.

Charlie mounted his broom, numb with shock, and went after them. His eyes were glued on the small maroon spot that stood out starkly against the dark grey sky. He could only hope that everyone evacuated the arena before Dani returned to the arena to guard her other eggs.

"Oh no," Charlie hissed as he watched Dani let out another burst of flames that set Mary's robes and the tail of her broom alight.

He pushed his broom faster, wishing he'd spent more money on a better model. It was only because they rarely used brooms for work. His Cleansweep was only on hand in case he needed to get down to the arena faster, not because they would be chasing angry dragons around. The chains were meant to be unbreakable, and excluding that, Dani should have never been able to get past the wards that protected the audience.

Something had gone well and truly wrong.

Dani let out another cry and released a stream of flames, causing Mary to barrel roll to avoid the worst of the blast. Her robes were letting off a trail of smoke as was the tail of her broom. Charlie honestly didn't know how she was outpacing the dragon. Even on a Firebolt she was quite literally playing with fire as she ducked, doved and maneuvered her way out of the enraged dragon's path.

Dani was closing in though and looking ready to roast Mary for bothering her eggs. She was far too close to the dragon, there was nowhere she could go and Charlie could only watch in horror, speeding toward them, as Dani heaved in a breath of air and made ready to incinerate her foe.

As though she'd anticipated the dragon's resolve, Mary pulled her broom upward, angling it straight at the sky, flying at an angle that not even Dani expected. The Horntail seemed to realize that Mary was getting away and lifted her wings into a tighter formation for the climb in altitude.

Charlie's ears popped as he followed them into the higher elevation and his lungs protested at the thinner air that they were subjected to and knew for Mary it was much worse. She couldn't climb upwards forever.

And then Mary stopped.

Charlie and the other wizards and witches that accompanied him pulled their brooms to a jerky halt, but had less than a second before Mary angled her broom straight at the ground and dove.

Dani hadn't quite seemed to register Mary's sudden stop and kept flying up toward her, then cried out in fury as Mary flew down and passed her at such a pace that Dani didn't have time to do more than swat at Mary with her long spiked tail.

Charlie could hear the massive wings beating against the air as the poor creature twisted to change trajectory and dove after her. All Mary seemed to care about was getting as far away from Dani as possible. Like a bolt of lightning, she flew through the fog and towards the large dark spot on the ground that was the Black Lake.

"Get on the other side of the lake!" Cobb yelled. "We'll cut them off!"

"Strongest stunning charms you can muster!" Henry called out, flying to the front of the group. "It's gonna take all of us to bring 'er down!"

Charlie's muscles ached under the strain of keeping the broom in control as he plummeted towards the dark water at neck breaking speeds. The centrifugal force was so much that he couldn't even attempt to look back and see where the dragon was without fear of losing control or getting himself thrown off course. He hadn't flown like this in years, and while it was exhilarating, he wished it wasn't under such dire circumstances.

Bright blue and orange flames burned across the sky and Charlie feared for Mary who was just in front of the blast. The choppy ripples moving along the surface of the water came into view at about one hundred metres in the air. At fifty metres his eyes watered and his breath caught in his throat and he clenched his teeth together to keep them from rattling. Forty. Thirty. Twenty.

Charlie pulled his broom up and angled it along the surface of the water. In front of him Mary was still mid dive with Dani a good ways behind her her. He watched, fearing for Mary's safety, knowing that there was no possible way that she'd be able to get out of this unscathed. He didn't know how Mary was doing it. Josef Wronski himself wouldn't have been able to pull off such a dive and Charlie feared that Mary would crash.

Inches from the surface of the water, Mary pulled her broom up, barely missing the lake and flew directly toward them. She leveled herself out, so close to the water that her knee skimmed the surface and sent a small spray of water that put out her smoking robes robes and the flames on the tail of her broom.

Dani eased out of her downward ascent with far more grace and angled herself right back on Mary's trail. Mary flew sharply to the right, flying in a tight half-circle around the dragon. The Horntail in turn stopped so quickly that the hood of Mary's robe scraped across the thick scales on the dragon's belly as she flew passed, keeping close to the safety of the icy water.

Charlie realised what Mary was doing and knew that she would fail. She was trying to disorient Dani by flitting from side to side, but she didn't know that Dani was smarter than that.

"Wands at the ready!" Henry called out. "Don't cast until I say!"

All of them pointed their wands at Dani while Mary was just a small blur of maroon hurtling towards them, coming closer and closer until she finally flew above and passed them.

"Now!" Henry shouted, casting a red spell at Dani.

The rest of them followed suit, aiming at the soft underbelly of the dragon. Only a few of the spells had hit and it did nothing to stop her. Charlie turned his broom to see that Mary was likewise circling around, trying to give them a second chance to subdue the dragon. His fellow dragon-keepers slowed down, wands still held aloft, as they waited for another go at it.

Once again Mary and Dani darted toward them, hovering just a metre over the water's surface.

"Again!" Henry called out.

Rapid spell fire lit up the surface of the dark water, resembling a muggle fireworks display. Dani knew what the bright flashes were and hovered closer to the lake, gaining speed and ground. They were running out of time. Another burst of spell fire shot forth. Five! Ten! Then Fifteen stunning spells hit the dragon full on. Shouts and cheers echoed from the casters, but they stopped when a stray stunner hit Mary full on, sending her toppling into the water below. Dani was finally subdued, falling over limply and mirroring Mary as her massive body collided with the lake, sending out a wave that threatened to drench them all.

"Somebody get the girl!" Henry shouted at them. "The rest of you get Dani before she drowns!"

Charlie looked to the others and picked the person he trusted the most. "You with me, Anita?"

The blonde witch nodded, turning her broom and pointing to where Mary's Firebolt and the golden egg were floating on the surface of the lake. "Think we should go in after her?"

Charlie's eyes searched the water for any signs of Mary, but came up empty. "Take the right shore, I'll take the left. We'll meet in the middle and go from there. She's likely swimming that way now."

* * *

 


	28. The Aftermath

**Mary Potter**

Mary's entire body went completely numb and limp and she didn't have the will or strength left in her to keep hold of her broom. As though in slow motion, she toppled off the side of her trusty Firebolt and fell into the lake below.

The surface of the water felt hard as concrete and cold as ice as her body almost seemed to bounce and then sink into the freezing water.

 _What kind of spell had they used?_  She wondered as she sank deeper and deeper.

Head tilted upward, she could see the small ball of sunlight grow further away. And in the distance, a massive blob moved quickly through the water, blocking the light.  _It swam in after me!_  Fear engulfed her as the thought entered her mind. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she could only sink further into the murky depths. Wondering if she'd die by drowning or by dragon first.

That was when she realised that the dragon wasn't chasing her, it was sinking too.

 _Finite!_  She thought fiercely, as her lungs burned and ached for air.  _Finite Incantatem_!

The second charm worked like, well, a charm, and immediately released her from the mind numbing effects of the mysterious spell. She had to fight the urge to take in a breath. The broom ride had left her winded and it was taking all she had to fight the crushing pressure on her chest and the immense desire to breathe.

With a flick of her wrist her wand slapped into her left palm and she pointed it up to the surface of the lake.  _Ascendio!_

Mary's simple non-verbal spell sent her shooting upwards until she could actually see daylight again. The second her head popped out of the water, she took a deep gasping breath and choked on the fresh air which sent her into a loop of choking and coughing in quick succession.

"Here!" A deep voice boomed. "She's here!"

Mary spluttered and spat out a mouthful of water and looked up at a young woman who was sitting on a broom hovering just above her.

"Let's get you out of here." The muscular blonde woman pulled her onto the broom and led them towards the shore. "Nice flying! Thought Charlie and the Captain were going to have conniptions at least twenty times!"

Mary choked on the fresh air. "Where's the Horntail? Is she okay? You have to help it or it'll drown!"

The lady laughed deeply. "They're pulling ol' Dani out of the lake now. She's been stunned and confunded, but she'll be just fine. Be back to her normal grumpy self by the time we get her home."

Mary turned to see a group of wizards and witches levitating the dragon to the shore, feeling relief bubble up in her chest. Despite the close call, Mary didn't want the dragon harmed.  _Dani._  She reminded herself, wondering if Hagrid had given this lady deadly creature naming lessons.

"I'm Anita, by the way." The blonde woman introduced herself and held out a tanned weathered hand to where Mary could shake it without letting go of the broom.

"Mary Potter." Mary replied. "Thanks for rescuing me."

"Think you just about rescued yourself." Anita laughed and landed the broom on the muddy bank where she carefully helped Mary dismount. "My partner's got your broom, in case you were wondering. He's flying up now."

Mary was almost struck dumb. Anita was extremely tall, not quite Madame Maxine or Hagrid's height, but still taller than average. Luckily, Mary's impolite moment of staring was broken by the sound of heavy boots hitting the muddy shore.

Charlie rushed toward her, dropping the golden egg into the sand, and enveloped her in his arms so lightly that she barely felt it. Though she didn't blame him considering that she was soaked through and through and felt like she had a really bad sunburn.

"Mum's going to kill us both over this." Charlie whispered into her hair.

"Dani almost beat her to it." Mary laughed and patted him on the back. "I'm more worried about Sirius and Remus. They were in the stands to see this mess."

"They're running this way." Charlie let go of her.

Mary turned and held up her hands in surrender, but neither of her godfathers paid her any attention as they pulled her into a singular bone crushing hug.

"Ow," she grimaced at the pain that erupted throughout her body.

"Hey!" Anita snapped and pulled them both back by their collars, leaving them both dangling inches off the ground. "Can't you see she's burned from head to toe?!"

Mary chuckled when both Sirius and Remus turned to Anita in tandem, ready to spew forth a very loud argument until they caught sight of her very pretty face glaring at them. Sirius eyes went wide and he stopped all movement, his gaze traveling from Anita's eyes to her feet. Remus just seemed to freeze on the spot, not daring to look directly at the tall witch.

Mary grimaced and pulled a piece of her robes off her arm and a large piece of reddened skin went with it. "Siri, think we could get back to the arena so I can hear my score?"

"You're hurt." Sirius pulled free from Anita's grasp and knelt in front of her, putting a hand over his mouth. "You need to see Pomfrey."

"I'm alright." Mary grasped his elbow and pulled him to his feet. "It's just a few burns."

Remus stepped forward, his wand out. "Do you want me to levitate you?"

"I'm a little burnt, not crippled." She quipped. "Come on now, I couldn't have done that badly. What was my score?"

"They haven't announced it yet." Remus answered quickly.

"We've got to get back to work, Mary," Charlie said, looking forlorn and gesturing to where the other handlers were levitating the sleeping dragon along the shoreline.

"Thanks for helping me out." Mary shook his and Anita's hands. "It means a lot. I'll try to find you before you leave."

They both nodded and smiled, jumping on their brooms and flying back to where the other dragon handlers were. Mary walked alongside her godfathers, listening to their side of the story, while silently wondering how the other Champions were faring, and hoped that they were both unharmed. Her hands shook the entire walk and a cold sweat was amping her pain up all the more by the time she reached the Healers tent.

"There you are!" Madam Pomfrey rushed out. "Dragons! Dragons at my school! I have half a mind to hex them all!"

Mary didn't even have time to speak before the matron was waving her wand in a complicated pattern. "I'm just.."

Pomfrey's eyes burned in anger as they met Mary's. "Don't even try to downplay this, Miss Potter. Get to the bed."

Mary frowned and stumbled over to the open bed where Madam Pomfrey quickly attacked her by vanishing her outer robes. She stayed silent as Pomfrey worked at applying the burn paste to her arms and legs.

Madame Pomfrey tilted her head toward the bedside table. "Drink the calming potion."

Mary downed it in one go and immediately felt it begin to work, leaving her drowsy and numb.

* * *

An hour later, Mary woke from a light doze to the sound of Sirius and Remus arguing. Mary sat up, and looked down at the hospital pyjamas that hid the gauze and burns.

"She will stay at Hogwarts and celebrate with her friends." McGonagall said in Mary's defense. "I fully understand your concerns, but really, Black, Potter is more than capable of handling this."

"Not until we figure out who tampered with the chains." Remus butted in. "Whoever did this not only knew which dragon Mary would face, but also that she likely wouldn't survive the attempt!"

"There is no evidence that anything was tampered with! Not yet, at least." McGonagall said. "Honestly, it's as if you two do not remember your years at this school!"

"Well, Minnie," Sirius hissed, "at least I can say I was never chased by a dragon!"

"I don't recommend it." Mary stepped out stiffly, barely able to move because of her bandages.

"You ready to go home, kid?" Sirius stepped closer, holding out her broom like a peace offering. "Dobby is working on all of your favourites for dinner."

"Think he'd mind bringing them to Hagrid's?" Mary quirked her best smile at her godfather. "I'd quite like to celebrate with everyone."

"Very good, Potter." McGonagall looked quite proud of her. "In fact, I think this occasion calls for something special. Poppy, how long until Potter is well enough to leave?"

Pomfrey glowered. "Another hour and all but her right arm should be fine."

"Very well," McGonagall turned to Mary. "Stay with your godfathers, Potter. I'll see the three of you at Hagrid's in two hours. That should give you ample time to greet your friends and change into something presentable."

McGonagall's quelling glare must have gotten through as Sirius rubbed his face and sat heavily in a chair, making Mary feel even worse. Remus looked no better and sat down beside him.

"How'd Fleur do?" Mary carefully folded her destroyed clothes. "What was her score?"

"Thirty-eight." Remus answered. "She was deducted twelve points when her robes caught fire."

"Is she okay?" Mary grimaced in sympathy.

"Not burned as badly as you were, but I suspect she won't be sitting easily for a few hours." Sirius looked up, a little of the brightness coming back into his eyes.

"And Viktor?" Mary leaned forward.

Sirius frowned. "He used the Conjunctivitis Curse and his dragon trampled the majority of her eggs. He made it out with forty points."

Mary felt horrible for the poor dragon. "The Horntail, she didn't trample her eggs too, did she?"

"No," Remus assured her. "She was far more interested in killing you."

"Who isn't?" Mary shrugged lightly, but regretted her thoughtless quip when both of her godfathers shot her dark looks.

"That is  _exactly_  why we think you should come home." Sirius said in a pointed tone. "The wards shouldn't have shattered. The chains shouldn't have broken! Your name should have never come out of that thrice damned-"

"None of us know the future, Mary Jane." Remus said. "We can't prepare for every eventuality. What we can do is keep you safe the best way we know how, and that's by keeping you close."

Mary almost wanted to laugh. Not a laugh of humor, but of one that would totally disprove her godfather's statement. For she did know what the future would bring, to an extent anyway. And it certainly wasn't something she wanted to share with the two people who were obligated to care for her. Damn, maybe that was the reason why the Dursleys hated her! They had some kind of sixth sense about how much trouble she'd be.

"You're looking a little green, kiddo." Sirius moved toward her. "Is it the potions? Do you need a cauldron?"

Mary choked down the sick feeling and tried her best to smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Sirius leaned toward her. "We can go home for the night and have you back by breakfast."

"Why don't you stay with me?" Mary countered. "I'd like to celebrate with everyone together. Wait, do I even have anything to celebrate? How'd I do? Did they take off points for the dragon escaping?"

"We're not sure." Remus replied. "We evacuated the stands with everyone else. They'll likely announce your score ate dinner."

The two exchanged a look and Sirius sighed. "We'll stay. One of us will stick with you at all times just in case the culprit is still on the grounds."

Mary looked at her watch and grimaced when the face of it showed that it was waterlogged and no longer working. "How long 'til then?"

"Half an hour." Sirius cast the Tempus spell and turned to Mary with a wry look. "You'd find the magical clock is far more accurate than it's Muggle counterpart."

"I'm old fashioned." Mary shrugged.

Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtain and stepped into the small space, waving her wand at Mary. "I'll be sending you out with another jar of the Muggle healing paste for your arm and I expect you to apply it as needed. Keep it wrapped in a thin layer of gauze and let it get plenty of fresh air between dressing the bandages."

"Will do," Mary smiled. "Thanks, Madam Pomfrey."

"Don't thank me, just don't get yourself hurt anymore." Pomfrey let out a huff. "As much as I hate to say this; you're free to go, Potter."

Luckily, most of the castle was empty as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. Mary left her godfathers in the Common Room while she quickly went to shower and dress into something other than pyjamas. She stuffed the Golden Egg in her trunk, placed the tiny Hungarian Horntail on her bedside table, and left her broom next to the bed so she could repair it later. When she was finally ready, she ran back down the stairs, only to find Sirius kneeling down in front of the fireplace and Remus shaking his head in disapproval.

"What'd I miss?" Mary tried and failed to hear what Sirius was saying into the Floo.

"He's being an idiot." Remus answered, waving his wand to dry her damp hair. "Are you feeling better?"

"Loads," Mary answered.

Sirius stood and brushed the soot from his clothes and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "All set? Let's get down to dinner."

Mary narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was up to, but opted to stay quiet and observe as they went down to the Great Hall. Sirius had his fists balled at his sides, his jaw clenched, while his eyes darted to and fro scouring each staircase and corridor for some unseen threat. The two of flanked her sides, creating an unseen barrier that left her feeling trapped by their over-protectiveness. Sirius peered into the Great Hall, walking a few steps ahead while Remus shielded her from view best as he could until they arrived at the fourth year table.

"We'll be up at the front." Remus put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to the Head Table. "Don't leave this room."

Mary nodded and sat down, only to be accosted by her year mates and their uproar of questions.

"What's with Remus?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched Remus walk away.

"They've both gone mad." Mary rolled her eyes.

"Oh, can't you see?" Hermione reached forward and grabbed her hand. "They're just worried about you, Mary. We were all worried about you."

Ron patted her gently on the back and Hermione gripped her left hand so tightly, Mary feared the bones would break. It felt good though, to have them both here. To have them supporting her and sticking by her side.

"Still no news on my score?" Mary asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Dumbledore said they'd announce it before dinner." Ron said. "You've got no worries though, you were the fastest to get to the egg."

"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered.

"Just a few burns, I'm fine." She smiled, turning to Lavender who incessantly tapped on her shoulder.

"Can I?" Lavender point her wand at Mary's hair.

Mary wanted to beat her own head against the table, but grinned and nodded. It was a mistake. The braid Lavender spelled into her hair made her skin pull back and threatened to rip the hair from her scalp. Her expression must have said it all, because Lavender gasped and recast the spell, setting it right.

"Alas, the time is upon us," Dumbledore stood and held up a hand to silence the room. "Our three Champions have faced their first task and passed the challenge set before them. Miss Delacour has thirty eight points. Mister Krum has forty points and Miss Potter's score will now be announced."

Madame Maxime raised her wand and a silver 9 shimmered in the air.

Mr. Crouch - a bored look on his face - locked eyes with Mary from across the room and cast a 7.

Bagman - a ten.

Dumbledore likewise smiled and cast a ten.

Karkaroff raised his wand and shot out a four.

Murmurs erupted in the crowd. Students looked to each other and then at Mary.

"There we have it!" Ludo Bagman raised his voice slightly, instantly silencing the crowd. "Mary Potter ties with Viktor Krum in first place! Congratulations to the three of them for their victory! Champions, inside the Golden Egg you retrieved this very morning, is a clue to your next task. I suggest you get cracking on working it out. You have until the 24th of February, for that is the morning you face your next challenge! "

"Thank you, Ludo! Yes, well done, Champions," Dumbledore said waving his hand through the air. "And now let us celebrate with yet another wonderful meal."

The food appeared on the table and everyone began talking loudly and digging into the feast laid before them.

"You surprised me, Potter." Daphne stated as she reached across the table for the gravy. "Thought you were a goner when your spell dissolved."

"The egg must have some kind of charm on it." Hermione jumped to her defense.

Mary thought back to the task. "It wasn't the egg. My knee bumped into the nest. That's when the disillusionment charm failed."

"Damn near gave me a heart attack." Ron stabbed at his steak and kidney pie.

"Neville here 'bout jumped into the arena." Seamus laughed, slapping Neville hard on the back.

Neville's cheeks tinged pink, but he reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out potions vial. "It's Shrinking Solution. I thought you could use it to shrink the dragon."

Mary couldn't help but be a little humbled both by Neville's bravery and his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Nev.-"

"That wouldn't-" Hermione butted in.

Mary kicked her under the table to shut her up. "I appreciate that! Would have made that flight loads easier if Dani was tiny."

"Dani?" Millicent leaned closer, nearly pushing a bowl of soup onto Pansy.

"The Horntail." Mary clarified.

"Did Hagrid name it?" Daphne laughed lightly.

"No, the dragon-keepers did, Iguess." Mary smiled. "Listen, I'm having a bit of a celebration at Hagrid's later. You're all more than welcome to join."

"Tonight?" Daphne looked unconvinced and a little skeptical. "Would that be allowed?"

"McGonagall approved it." Mary added, glancing at Hermione who looked fit to burst with questions. "There'll be food and music."

"We'll think about it." Daphne answered diplomatically.

Dinner was over before she knew it and Mary walked over to the Seventh year table where Fleur and Viktor were sitting, offering the invitation to them and their friends as well. Viktor readily accepted, but his classmates didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it. Fleur on the other hand, seemed quite intrigued with the idea.

"We will be there, Mary," Fleur nodded. "It is not too far from where our Abraxans are staying, no?"

"Hagrid's hut is just past the paddock, you can't miss it." Mary added, looking up at the Head Table where Sirius, Remus, and Hagrid all stood together. "In fact, you're welcome to follow me there."

Mary walked alongside Viktor, Ron and Hermione as they made there way down to Hagrid's hut. It was near a mass exodus from the Great Hall as word had spread and not only was it just a small group of the Champions and their friends, but also the Quidditch teams.

And when they arrived at the field, that wasn't the only surprise. A small group of dragon keepers were surrounding the fire, laughing merrily as Sirius passed out bottles of Butterbeer.

"The three Champions!" Sirius said loudly, greeting them with a broad smile.

Mary, Viktor and Fleur were all pushed to the front of the crowd, forced to stand there as everyone else watched.

Sirius handed them each a bottle and then held up his own. "A toast to a job well done!"

"Hear, Hear!" The others echoed holding up the bottles.

Mary tapped her bottle against Viktor's and then Fleur's, laughing as she almost spilled her drink. She took a huge gulp of the sweet warm liquid and let it warm her soul.

Still though, something was there at the back of her mind, telling her this wasn't the worse that she would face. She knew what would come to pass, what she'd have to do and all she'd have to sacrifice to win this war. And with that she tried her best to enjoy the moment and live it to the fullest.

Professor McGonagall held up a hand and a few groans sounded among the crowd. "I am not here to spoil your fun or intrude on the festivities, so be do be quiet, Mr. Finnegan."

Seamus put his head down in shame and McGonagall turned her attention back to the rest. "Professor Dumbledore has decided to return the broomsticks back to those who had them confiscated at the beginning of the year."

Mary gasped and the rest of the Quidditch players all cheered, only quieting when McGonagall glared at them. "This is not an invitation to act like a gaggle of buffoons! The Quidditch season is still cancelled. Professor Dumbledore's decision was made in the mind of making sure that next years teams will be well in shape. We will allot a time each week for flying practice and I expect all of you to not abuse the Headmaster's generosity by run amok." McGonagall's nostrils flared. "You may retrieve your brooms from Hagrid at your leisure."

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, some of them rushing to Hagrid who smiled and opened the door to his hut, letting them go in to retrieve their brooms.

Remus waved his wand and the magical gramophone began to play. Everyone danced and talked while their spirits were high.

Ron and Seamus were testing out some of Fred and George's new products by the fire, while the twins animatedly explained their inventions to Viktor. Hermione and Fleur where discussing something that made Hermione gesture wildly while Fleur rattled off a loud response in French.

Mary was taking another gulp of her Butterbeer when it hit her, that sharp stinging pain in her scar. So sudden that she bit her lip and choked on her drink.  _He_  was angry. She could feel it coursing through her veins. Telling her that no matter how much she tried to ignore it and focus on living her life, Voldemort was always lurking in the background. And he wouldn't stop until she was dead. Mary took a seat near the fire and observed her friends.

"You okay there, Mary?" Hagrid patted her hard on the back. "Lookin' a little off."

"I'm good." She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned to look at her first true friend. "Just went down the wrong way."

Hagrid smiled broadly. "Yeh did a fine job today. A right fine job."

"Thanks," Mary replied, then noticed the tall woman standing in the distance. "I think Madame Maxime is looking for you."

Hagrid flattened down his hair and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt. "Right then, best be off. Come 'round tomorrow for tea if yeh have time."

"I'll be here." Mary tried to smile, holding a hand to her forehead to keep the pain at bay.

"Come, let's fly!" Viktor held out a hand to help her up, but Mary shook her head.

"I think I've had enough flying for one day." Mary looked forlornly at the group that was gathering to take a late night fly. "You go on ahead, just watch out for Fred and George."

"I von't be long." Viktor promised rushing off to join the others.

"Is that true?"

Mary almost jumped out of her skin, turning to see Charlie standing behind her. "Yeah, why?"

Charlie glared in Viktor's general direction.

"Is something wrong?" Mary's brows furrowed.

"I don't like him." Charlie admitted. "Something off about that kid."

"He's a nice guy." Mary defended. "What makes you say that?"

"Just have a bad feeling about him." Charlie replied.

Mary followed his gaze to where Viktor was flying high above the others and wished he'd take more initiative to make friends.

Charlie sighed and looked down. "You mind telling the Twins, Ron and Ginny that I had to go and I'll write as soon as I can?"

"You're leaving now?" Mary glanced at the other dragon keepers that were likewise shaking hands and saying goodbye to her godfathers. "I thought you'd be able to stay longer."

The reasoning behind Charlie's anger with Viktor was all in his tone as he spoke. "Mei's remaining egg is showing signs of hatching, and Henry doesn't want that to happen anywhere other than the sanctuary."

"Oh," Mary stood. "I'll tell them. Take care, Charlie."

He pulled her into a quick hug, "You too. Write me, yeah? I want to hear about the next task and what was so important about that damn egg."

"Only if you write back and let me know how Mei and Dani are getting on." Mary countered playfully.

"Will do," Charlie laughed, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear. "Stay safe, Mary."

Mary watched him leave then sat back down, not moving until McGonagall ended the party and sent them all back to their dorms and respective quarters. In that time, Mary tried and failed to shake the feeling of foreboding that dogged her every step. But it was impossible. The pounding in her head only grew with each turn of the hour.

_Was Voldemort already planning the next step of her demise? Had he found out that she'd destroyed more than the one Horcrux?_

Later that night, Mary laid in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, lethargy weighing her down, when she realised she just didn't have all the answers yet.

And until that time, there was nothing more she could do but wait and let Fate decide what would be thrown at her next.


	29. The Yule Ball

"Mary, I 'ave told you that it is not your fault, no?" Fleur crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the smooth stones outside the great hall.

"It's just not right." Mary shook her head, opening the door and moving to let Fleur and her entourage enter the dining hall. "You completed the task with less complications than I did. They should have taken that into consideration."

"The judges decided on our scores. It is no matter. My score was - acceptable," Fleur said, seeming to be more than content with second place. "What are your thoughts on this Egg?"

Mary looked down at her hands, trying to think of something to say that could clue Fleur in, but she didn't have a chance.

Fleur turned, blonde hair whipping around her shoulders, eyes focusing in on Mary's. "You 'ave already figured it out! How have you done this in only one night?"

 _Why was she being so loud?_  Mary grimaced and looked around. No, it was just her sensitive hearing messing with her again. "I didn't sleep."

Fleur's pale brows furrowed. "Are you well?"

"Yeah." Mary waved a hand absently, fighting the icky feeling crawling up her spine. "Took a long bath. Sat there trying to drown the noisy thing."

"My ears are still ringing from opening that 'orrible egg," Fleur said, smiling brightly. "But yes, I have listened to the riddle. I 'ave not yet deciphered it though."

"We have time." Mary shrugged, taking a seat at the fourth year table. "You might want to keep your friends and family close around the time of the next task."

Fleur sat across from her, deep in thought. "That I will do."

The other Beauxbatons girls shot Mary a rude look and stared at Fleur's back for a moment before they animatedly rushed to their assigned table, looking more than a little put off by Fleur's chosen seating arrangement.

Fleur shook her head and her mouth curled into a smile. "Viktor shall be joining us shortly."

Mary laughed. "Considering how much butterbeer they drank last night, I'm surprised he'll be at breakfast at all."

Mary and Fleur shared a look and then started to laugh, both of them knowing full well that there was more than butterbeer in the tankards. Sirius left earlier that morning reeking of Firewhiskey, and Remus did nothing but talk as loud as he could and make sudden noises that would jar them from their drunken stupor. Dog form or not, Mary expected her godfather to bite Remus.

A bright flash of light accosted her vision and Mary scrambled backwards, trying not to fall out of her seat.

"Great job, M-Mary!" Colin Creevey squeaked out, lifting his camera and taking a picture of Fleur before rushing back to the third year table.

"What an awful boy!" Fleur groused, taking a drink of her juice.

"Colin?" Mary chuckled, scratching at her arm through her sleeve. "He's a good kid. A little too enthusiastic, but he means well."

Fleur didn't seem convinced and continued to glare at Colin as she picked at her breakfast while the Great Hall slowly filled with people.

People that were going to die if she didn't complete her task.

Mary stared down at her plate, swallowing, a pain in the pit of her stomach. Everyone in this room. Every single person would be dead or left to an unknown fate in less than three years.

She turned in her seat, and there they were. Fred laughed and put his arm around Angelina. That same smile that was etched on his face in the moment of his death. Snape scowled and pushed a plate of toast towards McGonagall who grinned at the younger teacher. Those dark eyes that knew how harsh life could be. Lavender sat a few seats down from Mary and laughed as Ron tried and failed to greet Fleur in French. Lavender who had met her untimely end at the hands of Greyback. Cho leaned her head on Cedric's shoulder, and he smiled down at her, both of them laughing at Fred and George's latest prank. Cedric who had died because he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

That nagging feeling of irritation began to fade, floating into the back of Mary's mind until she could block it out completely. In its place was only grief and a resolute longing to make sure the people she saw before her didn't meet the same fate.

 _Hufflepuff's Cup. Nagini. Voldemort. Hufflepuff's Cup. Nagini. Voldemort. Hufflepuff's Cup. Nagini. Voldemort._ _ **Me.**_ She wouldn't let Voldemort win.

Hermione held her head in her hands as Ron butchered the French language. Fleur stared back in confusion, but smiled demurely even though she was completely lost.

 _They're worth it._  Mary smiled and dug into her breakfast.

* * *

**December 10th, 1994.**

Over two weeks had passed since the First Task, and it was still the subject of gossip everywhere Mary went. Everyone wanted to hear her account about the dragon. They wanted to know what the egg was for. Had she figured out it's clue? Did she know what the Second Task would be?

Mary sat at her usual desk in Transfiguration and rubbed her temples, sighing to relieve the aching pain behind her eyes. To top it all off, Colin Creevey had taken from popping up at random times and snapping pictures. The bright flash of his camera left her blinded and seeing spots. It didn't help that each time, her temper reared up she barely had the strength to control it before she hexed the third year into oblivion.

That was something that she would have loved to blame on her connection to Voldemort, but if she really thought about it, it was just something that irritated her. That didn't mean that her scar wasn't likewise causing trouble. It always twinged at the worst of times. When she was focusing on class or trying to master a new spell.

Infuriated, Mary waved her wand, intending to turn her guinea fowl back into a guinea pig. The poor thing yelped piteously—feathers sticking out all over its tiny body—and she frantically waved her wand once again, righting the spell as the poor creature and Professor McGonagall both turned to glare at her.

"You're not concentrating, Potter," McGonagall chided. "Overpowering your spells won't help you in this class. You need focus and precision."

"Yes, professor." Mary put her head down, gently cupping the traumatized guinea pig into her hands and pulling it close in a silent apology.

To her right Parvati was helping Lavender with her spell work. To her left, Hermione was changing her guinea pig back and forth. Her perfect pronunciation sent Mary's guinea pig into a panic and she stuffed the tiny thing into her cloak pocket to hide it from the sight.

At Professor McGonagall's instruction, they began copying their homework into their notebooks. Mary absentmindedly wrote them word for word, glancing up every few moments to make sure she'd gotten it right. She was finishing the last sentence when she heard McGonagall step to the front of the class.

"The Yule ball is approaching," McGonagall started with a firm voice.

Mary blocked out everything and everyone after those words, staring at a far corner in the room as she thought of what she would do for the holidays. Sirius wanted to try out Muggle skiing in the Swiss Alps. Mary wanted to do anything but that. Sirius had won the argument without even starting it. There was no way she would deny him a trip that would make him happy.

"Potter!"

The professor's voice jolted her out of her revelry.

"I'd like to see you before dinner tonight."

Mary nodded, putting her head down as she packed up her books and quill. The bell rang not long after that, and Mary shot out of the room. Ron followed close behind her with Hermione and Neville joining them once they were in the corridor.

"Thought that'd never end." Ron grimaced.

"Uh huh." Mary kept darting her gaze back and forth, ready to sprint out of sight if any short camera wielding boys jumped out at her.

"Wonder why McGonagall is only announcing the ball now." Ron pulled what looked like a half eaten croissant from his pocket and took a bite. "Think it's because we have two new schools to deal with? Why haven't we had them before?"

Mary looked at him in confusion, but before she could speak, Hermione butted in. "Honestly, Ronald, we had dress robes on the supply list and it's the Triwizard Tournament. Of course, Hogwarts will be hosting a Yule ball. The champions will be the guests of honor, the press will be here, it's going to be so grand!"

"Bloody hell." Mary shuddered.

"W-what?" Neville stammered.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "A ball. A dance. You know, to music."

"I think I'll be ill that night." Mary cracked her fingers, then pulled her book bag higher onto her shoulder. "Something contagious and deadly."

"I've caught it too." Ron nodded quickly, moving to Mary's side. "We're both in the hospital wing."

"Same." Neville chuckled.

"You three are hopeless." Hermione sighed, glaring at them. "It's a dance. It'll be fun!"

At their unconvinced looks, Hermione turned around and stomped toward the library in a huff.

Neville moved closer to Mary. "What's McGonagall want you for?"

Mary cracked her neck and rubbed her temples. "The Champions need dates."

Ron and Neville both skidded to a halt, and she spun to see their jaws drop and their eyes go wide.

"Exactly." Mary's shoulders fell. "I'm doomed."

With that, she turned back around and walked as quickly as she could to Gryffindor tower. After all of her things were thrown onto her bed, she ran back down the stairs and out into the main hall under her father's invisibility cloak.

As always, she ended up at Hagrid's hut, her hand hesitating before she knocked.

"Oiu," Madame Maxime's deep voice sounded from the other side. "I did not think you would remember."

"Anything fer you, Olympe." Hagrid's tone was the softest she'd ever heard it.

Mary's hand dropped to her side and she turned around, walking away with her head down. She wouldn't eavesdrop on Hagrid. She didn't want to hear her friend's talking about  _the ball._  She didn't want to listen as they prattled on about which boy would ask them to  _the ball._  She didn't want to let McGonagall and the school down by not having a date to  _the ball_ , but she didn't want to ask someone only to be rejected. All for an effing  _ball._

 _Alone,_  she thought, letting out a breath.  _I'm alone._

An hour later she was sitting at the edge of the Black Lake, her bare feet digging into the mud. It squished between her toes and froze her feet. It was too cold for wading, but she hoped that she caught a cold or black lung—anything that would keep her from the torturous task ahead of her. Why did it matter anyway? What would having a date do to help her out in the tasks ahead?

"This is no hot spring."

Viktor's voice startled her so much that she slipped on a rock, falling backwards into the cold water.

"Shite!" Mary gasped and spluttered, scrambling out of the lake.

Viktor rushed to her side, pulling his cloak around her shoulders as he waved his wand, casting drying and warming charms on her. "I did not mean to upset you."

"My fault," she said through chattering teeth. "Lost in thought."

Viktor pulled the cloak tighter around her, unfazed by the cold. "Why lost?"

Her mouth twitched as she tried to keep her teeth from shaking loose. "You - You've heard about the Yule ball?"

"Yes, it vas announced before ve arrived."

"They just sprung it on us today," Mary whispered, tugging the cloak up to her nose to hide the fact that it was running like an escaped dog.

"It is ball. You dance, have fun. Vhat is to vorry about?"

"A dance partner. McGonagall demands I have a date to this shitfest."

Viktor leaned back and laughed loudly, a deep and booming sound that sent birds flying from their nests on the treetops.

"Laugh at me. I don't care anymore."

Viktor's eyes twinkled as he stepped closer to her, pulling the hood of the cloak over her head. "Do not vorry. I vill save you from this ball."

"What can you give me? Spattergroit? Dragon pox? Cause McG said anything less and she'd drag me out of the hospital wing."

"You vill go vith me. You are my date to this Yule ball."

Mary's jaw dropped and she took a step back. "Fuck that! There's over two hundred girls in this castle alone that would do literally anything to get you to go with them. Why me?"

"You are my friend." Viktor looked down at his shoes. "This is my last year at school. My last dance. I do not vish to go with some girl that only sees a Quidditch star. I vant to have fun."

"I can understand that. But I can still name at least ten girls that would treat you right."

Viktor's face flushed. "I am sorry to have offended you."

Mary reached out and touched his arm, feeling her own heart falter at his broken tone. "That's not what I meant. Please. It's just that, well, I know you can do better than me."

"We are friends, Mary. For this I just need a friend."

Mary felt her cheeks pull into a bright smile. "Then I'm there. I'd be honoured to escort you to the Yule ball, Mister Krum."

His warm fingers entwined with hers as they walked back towards the castle. Mary drank in the feeling, that warmth, that feeling of butterflies in her stomach that made her think that any moment she would be floating. And every time Viktor would cut his gaze to hers that feeling would intensify.

"Vould you like to go flying?" he asked when they reached the main doors.

"Hell yes," Mary breathed, pulling out her wand and flicking it. " _Accio Firebolt!"_

Viktor's spell was nonverbal and they both stood there in the heavy mist and cold as their brooms soared through the air toward them. A half second later, their brooms, along with twenty other people followed along. Mary's smile grew wider as they called the pickup game of Quidditch out over the large meadow in front of Hagrid's hut.

Mary pulled Viktor into a hug. "Thank you."

His face hovered over her shoulder—inches from hers—and the oddest sensation came over her. She wanted to pull him closer. Instead she pulled away and handed him his cloak.

Viktor smiled and bowed his head. "Friends."

"Friends," Mary repeated, feeling her heart drop.

He deserved better. She knew her fate, and he wasn't part of it. He never would be. Never could. Too many people were involved. Too many put in danger because she was too weak to get the job done. After the Yule ball, she'd make sure to cut all contact. One by one she'd ensure the safety of the people she cared about by making sure they never became too close to become a target.

"Did that just happen?" Ron grabbed her arm and spun her around as soon as they were back in the common room. "Did I just play Quidditch with Viktor Krum?"

George rolled his eyes. "All of us did."

"You weren't the only one." Fred laughed then turned to the crowd. "Think I better go ask Angelina to the ball before she decides to with someone else."

Mary moved toward the couch in a daze, but was stopped by Hermione.

"You reek!" Hermione covered her nose. "Did you fall into the sewer?"

"The lake." Mary sniffed her robes and grimaced. "The cold water is supposed to be good for you."

Hermione cast a freshening charm on her, backing away when it only marginally helped.

"Don't bother. I'm going to shower and change before I see McGonagall."

Kneeling closer to the fire to warm up, Mary ran her hand up and down her bad arm, trying to alleviate the ache there. Ten days until the full moon and her body was already starting to hurt. It would only get worse. That's how it always was. Her heart ached for Moony, knowing that his pain was tenfold what she was going through.

With that thought she ran into the dorms and only stopped briefly to grab clean pyjamas before rushing to the bathroom. She stepped into a stall and shed her clothes, staring down at her scarred arms and legs in distaste. Her arm was the worst of all, the long scars puckered and paler than the rest of her skin. They felt rough under her touch, making her skin crawl as they reminded her of the night she received the marks.

The hot water eased the ache, and she spent the next hour scrubbing at her skin until it was red and sore. She was clean and smelled more human, that made the subtle burn worth it. The face in the mirror stared back at her, dark circles under tired green eyes. Cheekbones that were high and nearly poked through her skin. All of Sirius' progress with fattening her up lost during her last growth spurt. Her dark hair was down to the center of her back, getting more difficult to deal with each day. The two wands on the counter seemed to call to her.  _Cut it off._

The only reason her hair wasn't a wild haystack like Harry's was because it was long enough to let the weight of it to keep it in place. If she cut it short, like Aunt Petunia had, she'd end up looking like the same awkward little girl that came to Hogwarts.

_Mary stared at the train station in awe, lost as she didn't know where to go after the guard laughed at her asking for Platform 9 ¾. Not until she overheard a bright haired witch mention Hogwarts._

_Mrs. Weasley had been kind enough to show her the way through the portal. Fred and George had simply helped her with her trunk before going to the cabin they shared with Lee Jordan. Mary had stumbled through the crowded train until she found an empty cabin. She looked at her reflection in the window, seeing her dark hair shorn close to her head, wondering why it failed to grow back as it usually did._

" _Mind if I sit here?" the red haired boy asked quietly. "Everywhere else is full."_

" _Sure," she replied, holding out her hand. "I'm Mary."_

" _Harry, eh?" The boy smiled back. "I'm Ron."_

_He'd misunderstood her name. He thought she was a boy. He was nice and she was desperate for a friend. For hours, she sat there talking to Ron. They'd shared snacks, introduced their familiars, and the moment Hermione walked into the cabin, looking for a lost toad, she pointed out who Mary was. Ron refused to speak to her after that, only sat there in silence. Even after she backed him up and defended him against Malfoy he still refused to talk to her. She hated him for it._

_Near two months passed, and Mary was alone, keeping to herself and not bothering to make friends. It wasn't until the troll incident that the three of them formed a bond that would never be broken._

"I have to break it," she told her reflection.

An hour later, after a long shower, Mary sat on her bed, her wet hair soaking the back of her shirt. The tiny Hungarian Horntail on her nightstand caught her eye and she scooped it up into one hand, dragging her other under her pillow where Bacon—her stolen guinea pig—was hiding. She pulled him out, setting them both on the foot of her bed as she wrote a letter.

Securing the two feathers with spellotape to the letter, one from an Abraxan named Elvis, the other from Buckbeak, she placed it beside her and pulled the mirror out of her bag, whispering Sirius' name. Within seconds a high pitched giggle and the sounds of fabric rustling filled the room.

"Sorry!" Mary put the mirror face down on her lap, holding her head in her hands.

"Bloody hell, woman, back off!" Sirius squealed. His face came into view. "Mary? You okay?"

"Are  _you_?" Mary deadpanned, shielding her eyes from flashes of pale skin. "Which witch this time?"

Sirius turned to look behind him, a confused expression on his face. "Ash...Am...No, it's Alex!"

"My name is Sasha!" an angry woman's voice called out. "And I'm done with you, Black!"

She heard something crash, picked the mirror up, and grimaced as she watched a vase smash against the wall. Suddenly the view tilted and dropped to the side. Spell light flashed, Sirius yelped in pain, and Mary wondered if she needed to go over there and drag this new person out by her hair. It wouldn't be the first time she had to escort a woman out of the house after Sirius mucked things up.

"You okay?" Mary called out loudly.

"Mary?" The view in the mirror tilted once again, and Mary saw Sirius' pale face staring back at her. "This might take more than an apology. I'll call you back in a few, kiddo."

After that Mary wrapped her night robe around herself and pulled back the curtains to her bed. Only to stop when three sets of eyes were staring at her in anticipation.

"Spill!" Lavender nearly screamed.

"We've been waiting so long!" Parvati cried out.

Hermione blushed and rolled her eyes. "I put a spell around your bed so you weren't disturbed."

Mary lifted a brow. "From what? Not like I was sleeping. I just talked to Sirius and wrote a letter."

Parvati groaned and fell backwards onto Lavender's bed. "Hopeless. She's hopeless!"

"You spent the afternoon alone with Krum!" Lavender squeaked out. "Tell us!"

"I fell in the lake?" Mary wondered what they were playing at. "We had a pick up game of Quidditch…."

"Did he kiss you?!" Parvati screamed in exasperation.

"No!" Mary moved back. "He's... _Viktor._ "

Lavender's smile dropped. "So nothing happened?"

"No," Mary repeated, shaking her head. "Nothing. He's my friend. That's it."

Lavender let out a disappointed sigh and went to her own bed. Hermione, however, stayed where she was, giving Mary a look of disbelief.

"Later," Mary said simply, watching as Hermione nodded once before leaving her alone.

She changed into a clean uniform and cast a cleaning spell on her shoes, making sure they looked and smelled good as new, before making her way down to McGonagall's office.

The door was open when she arrived at the office door. McGonagall looked up at the sound of her steps and nodded toward the chair across from her desk.

"Just a moment, Potter." McGonagall pushed a tin of biscuits toward her. "Only one. Don't spoil your appetite."

"Thank you." Mary's stomach grumbled as she found a peanut butter biscuit.

She devoured it in two bites, struggling to chew it up, when her head of house put her quill down and pinned her eyes on Mary's.

"The Yule ball," Professor McGonagall started. "Are your dress robes appropriate?"

Mary nearly choked on the mouthful, swallowing hard. "Sirius told me I didn't need them, that I'd be home for Christmas."

"They were a requirement in your supply list." McGonagall leaned back in her chair, lips pursed in disapproval. "I knew I should have taken you dress shopping. Your godfather promised—"

"I'm sorry."

"The three champions lead the ball. You will be representing Hogwarts. You must look your best."

The mirror vibrated in her pocket, giving Mary the perfect excuse to divert McGonagall's attention. She said his name and jumped forward, placing the mirror on the desk.

"Shite!" Sirius' voice echoed through the room. "For fuck's sake, Mary, tell me you didn't see anything? I swear, I didn't expect for that witch to be here! I just haven't had a good shag in ages."

"Black!" McGonagall picked up the mirror, glaring at her godfather.

"Minnie? Lovely evening, isn't it?"

Mary covered her face with her hands and tried not to laugh as Sirius stammered out his excuses. Poor guy still couldn't remember the witch's name.

"Sasha!" Mary called out, after his fifth attempt. "Her name is Sasha! She has brown hair and blue eyes!"

"That's the one!" Sirius chuckled nervously. "Minnie, Mary, is everything okay?"

McGonagall rubbed a hand over her face in exasperation, glaring down at the mirror. "Dress robes, Black. Your daughter needs them for the Yule Ball."

"I've signed her out for the holidays."

"I have the note you sent, but as a school Champion she is required to attend  _and_  dress appropriately."

Silence. It was truly worrisome when Sirius went silent, and Mary could only think the worst. Did he suddenly want to change their plans? Would he force her to stay at school? Would he refuse to let her attend and take her out of school? Would that be a bad thing? She didn't know.

"She's coming home for the holidays," Sirius stated in a firm tone. "I'll take her to find dress robes, and she can attend the Yule Ball, but she must return home the following morning and stay until classes start up again."

"Agreed." McGonagall nodded.

Mary said her goodbyes, collected her mirror, and went to dinner. Her mind spun, trying to think about what she needed to do next. She jammed her hands into her cloak pockets, fists clenched tightly, only to have her knuckles collide with the smooth surface of parchment.

Her stomach grumbled, wondering what was the better choice. Dinner, surrounded by people, or visiting the kitchens before taking her letter to the owlery. Reason won out and an hour later she sat on the window sill, eating a sandwich while Hedwig soared off into the night sky.

* * *

**December 18th, 1994**

Defense started out rough. The moon would be full that night and Mary's arm ached like mad. Mad-Eye Moody let out a gruff order for them to leave their backpacks in the classroom and they all followed the retired Auror to the cold and snowy courtyard.

The entire seventh year class was waiting on the edges, wrapped up in their scarves and earmuffs, wands held to their sides in gloved hands. It made Mary regret leaving her cloak in the classroom and when she looked around, a lot of her peers seemed to feel the same way.

" _Aer calidus._ " Mary cast a warming charm on her jumper.

"I've brought in some volunteers for this class." Moody's eyes roamed over the two groups. "You'll have to work together if you want to survive it."

Her fellow Gryffindors didn't seem thrilled about having to work in close quarters with the Slytherins, but Mary wasn't bothered by it. Most of them were all right. She'd never claim that she got on with all of them, but there were a few she knew were good.

"Your task is simple!" Moody shouted, banging his staff on the ground. "Shield charms and only shield charms are to be used by you fourth years. All you have to do is dodge the spells. If you get hit, you're out and have to leave the circle. Get to it!"

They huddled together in the center of the courtyard, some of them trying to use classmates as shields. Mary stood front and center, Ron to her left and Daphne to her right. Moody let off a spell that sounded like thunder crashing. The seventh years lifted their wands simultaneously, and Mary cast her shield charm. Chaos erupted around them. Within the first two minutes half of her class was already on the sidelines, bright paint splattered across their robes.

The bell rang. Six of them remained. Malfoy, Zabini, Nott, Parvati, Mary, and Dean were the only fourth years still in the game. That was mainly due to the fact that they chose to set rivalry aside and work together, shielding each other as best they could. They were surrounded, forty students working together to bring them down. With only shields to protect them, they had to be quick and focused. There was no room for error.

Dean heaved in a breath, faltering for a moment, his shield weakened. Three spells broke through their barrier. Parvati was hit first, causing her to lose focus and drop her shield. Nott was hit second, falling to the ground in exhaustion. The third spell whizzed past Malfoy's ear and he moved aside at the last second, only for the spell to hit Nott in the back of the head. The three of them that remained moved closer together, shoulder to shoulder, until the paint jinx caught Malfoy in the foot. He cursed loudly, dropping his wand hand as he moved out of the way.

"I'm getting tired," Zabini ground out from behind her.

Mary kept stepping sideways, keeping Zabini's back to hers. "Me too."

"Surrender?"

"Never."

"Duck!" Zabini shouted.

Mary dropped to her knees, watching as the pink spell flew over their shield.

" _Clipium Repente!_ " Mary twisted her wrist and flung the reflection spell at her feet, creating a small bubble that encased her and Zabini.

 _I should not have done that,_  Mary thought, knowing the shield spell was registered as dark. Mary flicked her gaze to where Moody's face was twisted into an odd and frightening grimace. Was he smiling or glaring? It was hard to tell with his pronounced scars and magical eye whirring in its socket.

"What now?" Zabini backed up to her.

"No idea." Mary watched as the seventh years circled closer. "I can't hold this forever."

"I'm starved."

"Me too."

Mary looked out at her opponents, watching them lift their arms to resume casting. Refocusing on the shield, she put as much power as she could into it. Bright colourful spells flew toward them from every direction, encasing the bubble in a multitude of color.

Mary waited. "One. Two. Three!"

The paint jinxes were flung off the shield at once, bouncing straight back at their unsuspecting casters. The seventh years ducked and dove out of the way, but few were left unhit.

"Not bad." Moody stomped forward. "Class is over. Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor! Good spellwork, Potter."

Fred and George were waiting for her beside the fireplace in Gryffindor Tower after dinner that evening. George passed Fred a small tin, and they simultaneously turned to grin at her.

"Do I wanna know?" Mary arched a brow.

"Just a little something we cooked up." George put a hand on her shoulder.

Mary stared at the two sweets in suspicion. "What do they do?"

Fred closed the lid and placed the tin in her hand."They just ease your nerves. Like if you have a job interview,"

"A big date."

"Or you're going to dance in front of a thousand people."

"Exactly."

Mary looked up at the two seriously. "I'm freaking out as it is, please don't make this into a joke."

"Just take it when you need it." Fred gave her a pointed look.

"We wouldn't lie to you, Mary," George added. "We owe you a lot for helping us get our shop started. So just think of this as a small down payment."

"You two did all of that on your own." Mary grasped their hands. "But, thank you. I'll keep the sweets on me."

"Atta girl," Fred grinned. "You won't regret it."

"Not our, sis." George crossed his arms. "You'll make the most of it, won't you, Mary?"

"I'll do my best," Mary assured them, stepping into the Floo.

* * *

Back at Grimmauld Place, Mary stared at the Black family tree in interest, wondering why Sirius chose to leave this room mostly untouched. The tapestry in front of her showed the history of the Black's, but the dark scorch marks were a testament to the fact that this family held no tolerance for blood traitors.

_**Eduardus Limette Black b.1820 d.1899** _

"What'd he do wrong?" Mary asked, looking at the burnt image.

"Old Uncle Eddie. He lost the true Black Manor in a card game with a muggleborn." Sirius barked out a laugh. "Was fond of the drink and too far in his cups to care. As soon as he realised there was an Unbreakable Vow hanging over his head, he went straight to the ministry to have the deeds drawn up. He later stepped down as head of the family and was disowned quickly after. The Manor had been the ancestral family home of the Black's since the time Merlin himself roamed the country."

Sirius frowned and his eyes took in the room around him. "The only thing they were able to salvage from the Manor was the house elf heads and the Black family tapestry."

"What happened to the manor?" Mary asked in wonder.

Sirius lifted his shoulders, digging his hands into his pockets. "The new owner didn't feel the need to place any protection spells on it and it was destroyed during the First Wizarding War. I even think Grindelwald used it as headquarters for a time. Note, this was all before I was born and my dear mother loved the thought of someone like Grindelwald occupying our family home."

"Your cousin Bellatrix." Mary pointed at the witches likeness on the tapestry. "How about we go to Gringotts and raid her vault?"

Sirius tilted his head back and laughed. "Too late, kid. I already have."

Mary choked on a sweet. "W-what'd you find?"

"Nothing." Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "She emptied it out long before she went to Azkaban. Had everything transferred into her husband's vault."

Mary felt her stomach twist. "She's a Black though, can't you get in?"

Sirius turned to her, brow furrowed. "It doesn't work that way, Mary. The goblins don't care about her being a criminal and a Death Eater. What's got you so interested in it?"

Mary felt revulsion climbing up her spine as the lie left her lips. "Neville and his grandmother should have been compensated for what the LeStranges did."

"You're right, but that isn't going to happen. Even so, Neville and Augusta are well off. I doubt they'd want anything Bellatrix had to offer. None of it would fix what she did."

"Yeah." Mary heaved in a breath.

Hufflepuff's cup was supposed to be simple to get. How could she have looked over such a simple detail? The clock was ticking and there was no way she could stop it. With one more Horcrux out of reach, Mary was forced to realise that her plans would be set further back.

The next morning Sirius stepped into International Portkey platform number 6 of Switzerland. Mary had been thrown off course and landed a metre away on her hands and knees. The young witch attending the newcomers scrambled to her side, helping to her feet and mumbling apologies in German.

Sirius merely bent over, hands on his knees as he laughed. "You should have seen your face! Merlin, you're killing me, kid."

Mary shook her head, taking the envelope with their stamped passports from the kind witch. "Thank you."

"Mary Potter," the witch held out piece of blank parchment with a shaking hand. "Zeichen?"

Mary looked down at the paper in confusion. The witch looked down at her feet, her cheeks flushed as she mimed writing.

"She wants your autograph." Sirius stepped closer to Mary's side, no longer amused.

"Oh." Mary grabbed the parchment and pulled a pen out of her pocket, signing it with her usual messy scrawl. "Nice to meet you."

"Danke!" The girl smiled, rushing out of the room.

Sirius chuckled at Mary's flushed face, pulling her close as they apparated to their next stop. They spent the night drinking hot chocolate, wishing Remus was there, and having snowball fights in front of the posh Swiss hotel. It was the latter that was the reason for them getting kicked out when a rogue snowball hit a renowned Russian diplomat square in the face. The president had laughed it off and greeted Sirius and Mary with a smile, but the manager of the hotel hadn't been pleased. They'd portkeyed to Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest exploring the towns for a day before moving on. Their final stop was in Sofia, where Mary dragged her godfather into the town, going door to door until she found a small dress shop.

"I thought you didn't care about the dress?" Sirius pulled his hand free from hers.

"It's the Yule Ball, Snuggly." Mary put on her best pitiful look. "It's not about the dress, it's about representing Hogwarts, and I've only heard good things about this shop."

Sirius wasn't convinced, following her into the building and eying the mannequins with distaste. There were all ball gowns that had plunging necklines and tight bodices. Mary cringed at the sight of them. No way in seven bloody hells would she be caught dead in anything like that.

A girl walked forward, rattling off something in her native tongue and Mary stared back in confusion. "I'm sorry, do you speak English?"

"Yes!" The girl replied. "I am so sorry. What can I help you with?"

Mary swallowed hard, hoping this wasn't a long shot. "My name is Mary Potter, I'm a Hogwarts student needing a dress for the Yule Ball."

The girl's smile dropped, her eyes growing wide and looking Mary up and down. "Mary Potter?"

"Yeah." Mary felt her neck and cheeks grow hot under her stare.

"Mama!" The girl spun on her heel and disappeared into the back room.

Mary watched while her godfather looked through the rows of gowns, finally holding up a dress that looked like something a nun or an old woman would wear.

"No," Mary said before he could speak. "Don't even ask."

"I am so sorry."

Mary turned to see an older woman, with dark hair and deep brown eyes walking toward her.

The woman continued, "Elena was quite shocked. You need a dress, no?"

"She does." Sirius stepped forward first, cheeks pulled tight in a smile as he eyed the busty witch in appreciation. "I'm her godfather, Sirius Black."

"Kate," she replied, holding her hand out to Mary, giving Sirius no attention whatsoever. "It is an honour, Miss Potter."

"It's just Mary." She put her head down. "I've heard great things about your shop from a friend of mine."

"Friend?" Kate seemed pleased. "How vonderful! Vell then, ve should get to it. You vill vant something custom, no? Something that says Champion?"

"Something simple and comfortable," Mary stated, not wanting to be in some fancy gown that would look ridiculous on her.

Kate's eyes travelled from Mary's toes to her neck, tilting her head side to side with a critical stare. "I have just the dress. Elena, vill measure you and ve vill start immediately."

"But…" Mary felt frantic, turning to the many gowns on display. "Can't I just pick one and go?"

"No!" Kate looked offended. "No such thing!"

* * *

Three days later, Mary was standing in her dorm waiting for her friends to finish getting ready. Lavender and Parvati had already tackled her hair into some weird stylish updo that threatened to pull the hair from her scalp and stretch her face into a permanent surprised look. Her scar was covered by a swath of hair and they'd painted her face as much as she would let them. The feel of the heavy makeup on her skin just begged to be scratched at and the first time she'd tried Lavender slapped her so hard that she still had a red mark on her hand.

Looking down at said red mark, Mary opened her trunk, finding the tiny tin Fred and George had given her. Dumping the contents into her hand, she wondered what the two tiny sweets would do. With the best of luck, they'd be a prank that would end up with her covered in fur and feathers and unable to attend the feast. And with her usually shoddy luck, she'd end up speaking in pig latin for the entire ball and make a complete fool of herself.

With that thought in mind she swallowed both red capsules and put on the necklace Sirius had given her for Christmas. It was a simple silver chain with a small emerald pendant. There was a protection charm on it, she didn't know which one, but she was sure of it, because as soon as she locked the clasp, she felt a warm and safe feeling envelope her. That deep feeling of irritation, emotions that weren't hers, suddenly faded into the background and Mary hoped that it'd last long enough that she would be able to enjoy the night.

"Viktor? Really?" Hermione whispered, looking over her shoulder to the girls in the bathroom while she fussed with Mary's gown. "You're only setting yourself up for heartbreak. What were you thinking?"

"You're going with Ron." Mary grasped Hermione's hands gently. "Everyone deserves to be happy tonight."

Tears pooled in Hermione's eyes. "What about you?"

"I have the best of friends and a wonderful family." Mary laughed. "There's nothing more I could ask for."

All she wanted was to live out the remainder of her life, surrounded by as much peace and happiness as she could manage. And it would seem that in this one instance, Fate was kind.

Mary took careful steps down the stairs to the Entrance Hall, hoping that she didn't fall and stab someone with the dangerously tall and pointy heels that she'd been forced into wearing by Lavender. As per Parvati's advice, Mary hiked up the skirt of her dress so that she didn't trip over the fine dark green silk and tried to keep her shoulders back.

She rounded the corner and stopped at the top of the landing. The Entrance Hall was packed full of students in various fancy clothing all standing in a circle and whispering and giggling at each other while pointing toward a familiar face. It made her heart beat faster and a lump formed in her throat to see him standing there so excruciatingly handsome in his dark red, fur trimmed robes.

Viktor looked up at Mary and smiled, as though he was relieved that she had finally appeared, and then his eyes traveled from hers to inspect her gown and widened considerably. Mary smirked and tried not to blush as she stopped on the top step. His soft smile lit up his eyes, then promptly fell at her hesitation. She could feel the gazes of the surrounding students, as they wondered what her next move would be. Viktor furrowed his brows in worry. Mary winked at him as she waved behind her.

The shaking hand grasped hers tightly and Mary tried to be as encouraging as possible, moving back around the corner and into Viktor's view. He stood there stunned, jaw dropping to his chest.

Elena's dress was a long black gown with red embroidery around the corset top. Her mother had made it specially for the ball. Mary had sat there night after night as Elena and her mother worked on the two gowns, wondering if it was worth it, but after seeing Viktor's face she knew it was.

Mary could feel the nervous energy pouring off of the older girl as they carefully navigated the last few steps. "You look great, Elena. Look at him, he's bleeding awestruck."

It was not an exaggeration in the least. Viktor was so wide eyed that Mary almost feared for his health.

"Look who I found." Mary smiled at him like a cat that was caught bathing in cream.

"Hello, Viktor," Elena said, blushing brightly while smoothing down the front of her gown.

"Elena," Viktor breathed, tearing his eyes away from her to look at Mary in shock. "How did you do this?"

"I have my meddling ways." Mary waved a hand conspiratorially. "I hope you don't mind."

Viktor looked back at Elena and grinned. "You look very beautiful, Elena."

"Thank you." Elena flushed slightly. "You look very good too."

Mary's heart soared at the way they looked so entranced with each other. She couldn't think of a better way to spend the holiday than seeing a close friend as happy as this.

Mary turned and saw Ron and Hermione walking down the stairs arm in arm. Her best friend looked perfect in her turquoise robes and was beaming in pride next to Ron who appeared quite smart in his new black dress robes. They were followed by Ginny and Neville, George and Angelina, Lee and Katie and Fred and Alicia.

McGonagall exited the Great Hall and waved them toward her. "Champions and your partners this way please!"

Viktor turned to Mary and held his arm out to her.

Mary grasped Elena by the elbow and hooked the girl's arm through Viktor's. "I think you've found a better date."

"Mary, it vouldn't be right of me to take your place!" Elena hissed at her.

"I'm still going to the ball." Mary smiled reassuringly. "Just not with Viktor."

"Thank you." Viktor looked close to hugging her and Mary knew that her dress wouldn't hold up under that kind of abuse.

"Hurry!" Mary pushed the two forward. "Professor McGonagall is likely to skin us alive if we hold up the ball."

Said professor pulled Mary back the second the door closed behind Roger Davies and Fleur Delacour. "Where is your date, Miss Potter?"

"I don't have one." Mary grimaced at the irritated look in her Head of House's eyes.

"The champions of this competition lead the ball." McGonagall said seriously. "As a student of Hogwarts and a Tri-Wizard Champion I am shocked to see you take this so flippantly."

"I'm not a champion by choice, Professor," Mary reminded her. "And while I still have free will and life in me, I won't take credit for something that I neither wanted nor earned. I'll stay seated for the waltz if I need to."

McGonagall's eyes softened and she pulled Mary into a careful one armed hug. "I'm not trying to be difficult, Potter, it's just been a stressful year."

"I can imagine," Mary said sympathetically. "I'll be fine on my own. I promise, Professor."

McGonagall nodded and gave her one last long searching look before gesturing for everyone to follow her into the Great Hall.

The crowd cheered loudly as Fleur and Roger walked in, followed by Viktor and Elena. Mary could feel everyone's eyes on her and kept her head held high and a smile on her face as she focused on making her way to the head table without falling on her arse.

Mary took her seat in between Viktor and Fleur and looked down at the menu with a watering mouth.

"Steak, rare please," Mary whispered to her golden plate.

A moment later a large juicy steak appeared on her plate along with a heap of mashed potatoes that were smothered in melted cheese. Mary rubbed her hands together and shook out her napkin, stuffing it down the neck of her dress, then grabbed her silverware with such speed and precision that Fleur looked over at her with a curious grin.

"Hungry?" she asked lightly as Mary cut into the tender steak.

"Haven't eaten in three days." Mary stuffed the first forkful of food into her mouth and turned to grin at her with puffed out cheeks. "I'm starving."

"What were you starving yourself for?" Fleur asked worriedly. "Not for zis dance I hope?"

Mary was irritated that she was interrupting dinner time. "Traveling. Didn't have time to eat."

She stuffed another mouthful of potatoes into her mouth and whimpered when they burned her tongue. She picked up her goblet and turned it up, but it was empty.

"Can I get a coke, Annie?" Mary whispered into her goblet with a hand cupped over her mouth.

"Thanks, Mi'lady." She smiled innocently when her cup filled and the sweet fizzy tang hit her nostrils. "Going to be a good night."

Mary was happy that she was mostly ignored throughout dinner. The meal and drinks had hit the spot and she no longer felt like a nervous wreck. She leaned back in her chair and a loud belch erupted from her mouth.

"Sorry." She grimaced at the appalled look that Fleur sent her way. "Couldn't contain it."

"Nice," Elena said appreciatively, reaching around Viktor, to hold up a hand that Mary promptly high-fived. "Compliments to the chef."

"Are you ready to dance?" Fleur asked, making Mary wince at the thought of dancing after eating so much.

While she was contemplating the horror to come, Dumbledore stood and announced the start of the ball.

He introduced The Weird Sisters as the tables floated out of the way and the dance floor was cleared. The band looked at their instruments in regret as they set up and Mary wondered what had caused that reaction, but figured that mournful classical waltzes were not in their preferred queue of music. She knew she must have been a sight, standing there alone while the other champions had dance partners. But for some reason it didn't bother her like it normally would have. Was it the sweets Fred and George had given her?

"Where's your date, kid?" The scraggly haired lead singer asked as he waited for his cue to start playing.

"I've gone doe," she whispered over her shoulder.

"I'm Myron," he said, pulling the magical microphone from its stand and walking over to her, much to his band mates' confusion.

Mary felt a little out of her depth as the stranger grasped her hand and stood next to her. The entire hall was so quiet that she swore she could hear the clock tick. And she looked over to the table where her friends sat and saw that they, along with everyone else in the hall, were staring at her and Myron with a mixture of either outright shock or envy.

The soft tones of the piano echoed throughout the hall and Myron put a hand lightly on her waist and began a well practiced waltz. Her feet moved at their own accord, letting the steps Sirius taught her take over in her mind. That's all it was, just her and Sirius dancing in the empty basement of Grimmauld Place. There was no crowd of gaping onlookers or a patchouli smelling wizard next to her.

Before Mary could contemplate what happened, the waltz had transformed into an upbeat song that sent the crowd into a frenzy. They flooded the dance floor and Myron let go of her hand, jumping onto the stage as he started to sing one their most popular hits. She floundered for a moment, not knowing what to do as she stood there amongst the wave of bodies that surrounded her, trying to find her way back to the table. Someone grasped her arm and she turned to see Elena standing there with a grin on her face. She pulled Mary back onto the dance floor and wouldn't let go of her until the song was over.

Hermione ran over with a smile so bright it was blinding as she grabbed Mary's hand and squealed in delight. "This night has been the most fun I've ever had! Everything is just so perfect! Elena is such a nice girl. Did you see how red Viktor's face got when Roger asked her to dance? I thought he was going to hit him! Although Ron looked quite put out when Viktor asked me to dance, right up until Elena grabbed Ron by the hand and dragged him away. We're going to get drinks, by the way. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure!" Mary said and took a step forward but a light tap on her shoulder had her spinning around.

Professor Dumbledore stood there with twinkling eyes and a hand held out to her as a fast paced disco type song started. Mary looked back to see Hermione and the rest of her friends giggling into their hands and shrugged as she took the Headmaster's hand.

Having spent a summer with Sirius and Remus, Mary was well versed in disco dance moves and the vocal stylings of The Bee Gees, so she laughed and admired the way Dumbledore was able to dance at his age. Dumbledore hitched his robes to his ankles and danced alongside her.

Fred and George walked up with Alicia and Angelina and the six of them finished out the song like they were the stars of a Muggle music video. The song ended and Dumbledore patted Mary's hand, thanking her for the dance, before walking back to the Head Table.

Mary sat down next to her friends and a goblet appeared in front of her. While she took a sip of her Coke, she made a mental note to find a very nice thank you gift for Annie the house elf.

"Can't believe old Dumbles still has some moves." Fred laughed.

George shook his head. "Did you see those horrible orange fluffy socks he had on?"

"Looked like he'd skinned Crookshanks," Ron added, putting an arm around Hermione.

Mary finished her drink and looked up at them with a grim expression. "I bought him those for Christmas. I thought they were quite lovely."

The three stammered and tried to take back their insults, but when Hermione, Angelina, Alicia, Elena, and Viktor burst out laughing, so did Mary.

"Uh oh." Alicia grimaced.

"Incoming," Angelina said, looking over Mary's shoulder.

Fleur walked up to her, hands on her hips, and Mary mentally wondered what she had done to irritate the girl this time, but the music started up and Fleur held a hand out to her. Mary laughed as she jumped up and walked back onto the dance floor, leaving most of the crowd wondering if they would keep dancing or start throwing punches. And so they danced, danced like they were in the best club in the U.K. And neither of them cared that they looked like fools doing so.

By the end of the ball, Mary was exhausted, having danced with the other champions, their dates, Dumbledore, and most of Gryffindor house, and was damned sure that she was burning her shoes the first chance she could. But before she could escape Viktor pulled her over to his table, where a tired but happy looking Elena sat chatting away with Hermione and Ron.

"You have no idea vhat this means to me." Viktor grasped her hand, following Mary's gaze. "I am in your debt."

"You owe me nothing." Mary smiled. "That's what friends are for."

Elena slapped Viktor's shoulder and rattled off something in Bulgarian then looked over at Mary apologetically. "Take off those shoes. Ve have more dancing to do!"

Mary pulled her heels off and sighed in relief. "That's the stuff."

A loud squeal sounded to her left and Mary turned to see a young Hufflepuff pass out cold onto the floor as Myron walked over with his eyes trained on her. "I've just realized who you are, Mary Potter."

Mary grimaced and the scraggly haired wizard held up his hands as a gesture of peace.

"I just wanted to say good luck in the rest of the Tournament," he consoled her, looking slightly offended by her reaction.

She mustered her Gryffindor courage and asked as she stood up, "Want to dance?"

It was a mistake. The second she took a step forward, her bare foot caught on the hem of the long skirt and split it horizontally just above her knees. She stared down at her ruined dress and winced. Days had been spent on the damned thing and she'd ruined it in just a few hours.

"I can fix it!" Elena jumped up and tugged hard at the only seam that was holding the lower part of the skirts up. "All better. Just don't lean over and it should hold."

Mary didn't bother to comment further as she looked at Myron with wide eyes, took his hand, stepped out of the bottom half of the skirt, and let him lead her to the dance floor.

The song was fast with a rhythm that didn't give them a chance to take a breath. Myron did a quick pirouette like a professional ballet dancer, causing Mary to stumble and burst out laughing. He reached forward and grabbed her hand, twirling her around, and then let go to bust out into a break dance. Mary stomped her bare feet along with the bass until the flow dropped. As soon as the beat picked back up, the dwindling crowd flooded around them, dancing and jumping up and down.

It was the best time she could ever remember having.

Mary said her goodbyes to Elena—who would portkey back to her home shortly—and the group split up. Mary knew that the couples all wanted some time to themselves, so she took her leave at the Entrance Hall and walked out onto the grounds. She tiptoed past numerous couples, all snogging like there was no tomorrow, and dug her blistered feet into the cold snow.

The sound of something large loping toward her had her spinning around wand in hand. A dog, massive in body, barreled over her, sending her flying backwards and landing heavily in the thick cold powder as he showered her face in kisses.

"Back Fang!" Hagrid hollered as he grabbed the boarhound by his thick leather collar and pulled him away. "Sorry, there, Mary."

"I'm okay." Mary laughed and let him pull her to her feet. "It was quite nice to cool off after all that dancing."

"Looked like yeh had a grand time." Hagrid beamed at her.

Mary smirked up at him and pointed out the lipstick smear on his whiskery cheek. "Looks like you did too."

"I may 'ave."

"Potter!" Snape yelled from the top step, standing there like a gargoyle. "Ten points from Gryffindor for being idiotic enough to forgo shoes and a cloak in this weather!"

"Better get back inside, Mary." Hagrid patted her back in sympathy. "Come by fer tea sometime."

"I'll be there," Mary wrapped her arms around him and then ran back towards the front doors where Snape was waiting with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Get to your common room," Snape hissed at her.

Mary only smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Professor!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yule Blessings, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weinachten, Buon Natale, Feliz Natal, Vrolijk kerstfeest, Crăciun fericit, Wesołych świąt Bożego Narodzenia. And Happy December 25th.
> 
> I love you all. Thank you so much for your patience and time.
> 
> And a special thanks to Miss Bee - theaberrantwritergirl, for her pushing my procrastinating ass into getting this finished. She also beta'ed this chapter with a lot of love. You can find her works in the Reylo side of the Star Wars fandom.


	30. The Beetle and the Boy

**January 5th, 1995**

"Don't expect this to happen again."

Sirius leaned back against the pillows and watched as Mary MacDonald pulled her clothes back on.

"Not good enough for you, Mac?" The corners of his lips twitched. "You were singing a different tune last night."

"I'll be out of the country for at least two years." Mac lifted her gaze to his. "I'm sorry, Siri. It's just that England is no longer my home. Hasn't been for a very long time."

Sirius knew exactly what she meant. Her friends and family were dead. It didn't take away the sting of her words though. He'd always fancied her, that was no secret, not even to her. But she'd changed. Time had left her bitter, just a shadow of the bright smiling witch he used to know. Were it not for little Mary and Remus, he knew he'd be in the same state, still chasing revenge.

"You can't even stay long enough to meet Mary Jane?" He reached forward and grabbed her hand. "She'd love to get to know you."

Mac pulled away again. "And what would I tell her, that I ran away and left her with that horrible family? That every moment I spend in this country causes me pain? That I can't speak of my late friends? She'll want stories, and I can't even bear to think their names. No, it's better for her that I don't meet her."

"Better for you, you mean."

Mac's eyes hardened. "Yes."

"Safe travels, then," Sirius said, not moving when she opened the door and walked out.

He laid there on his bed, staring up at the ceiling until the muffled footsteps grew louder. A loud knock echoed through the room before the door swung open.

"You're brooding again." Remus stepped to the window and pulled the curtains back, bathing the room in blinding light that burned his eyes.

"Am not." Sirius pulled a pillow over his face. "Mac's infuriating."

"We both know things haven't been easy for her." Remus let out a sigh. "Even Dumbledore didn't think she'd agree to join the Order. It doesn't help that you seen fit to shag her senseless."

Sirius let out a low groan. "She used to be so much fun though. We spent many an evening in Hogwarts' broom closets before—"

"Mulciber," Remus finished. "Did she ever tell you what happened?"

"It was all over the Prophet. I didn't need to ask."

In truth, Sirius never broached the subject. When Mac returned to school after two months in St. Mungo's, she was different, and he had too many issues of his own to deal with. He wouldn't have been much help to her. That's what she had Lily, Marlene, and Dorcas for.

"Molly dropped off a basket of food."

His stomach rumbled, and he could almost taste how well some of Molly's Sunday roast would pair with his aged whiskey. "I'll be down after my shower."

"Good." Remus could be heard making his way out of the room. "There's something you need to see."

When he sat down at the table an hour later, glass of whiskey in hand, he looked down at the Daily Prophet that was spread out on the table. A growl rumbled through his chest as he read the headline.

**WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE?**

_**Mary Jane Potter, age 14, has been seen in the company of the Weird Sisters lead singer Myron Wagtail, Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum, and numerous fellow Hogwarts students. Among them is Cedric Diggory, Fred Weasley, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and surprisingly, one Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons. It leads this reporter to believe that young Mary has too many wands hovering around the cauldron. Has she chosen a suitor or is she simply biding her time?**_

_**One thing's for sure, I, Rita Skeeter, will be here to update you the moment The Girl Who Lived becomes The Girl Who Loves.** _

Sirius stared at the pictures, looking for clues. At the sight of her and Myron dancing, Mary's lips transformed into a tight smile, guarded. With Viktor and the rest, she was free, happy, and seemed to be having fun. It was the Diggory boy and Fred Weasley that threw him for a loop. With them, Mary's smile was broken, pained, even a little haunted. He studied the pictures over and over again, memorizing the faces and reactions of the subjects. What was he missing? He'd always been open with Mary about things like dating. Would she keep that big of a secret from him? Merlin, would he have to have  _the talk_  with her? Should he talk to Molly about it? She had a daughter.

"What are we going to do about it?"

Remus' voice startled him.

"Find these boys and cut their hands off!" he snapped, tossing the paper onto the floor.

"Padfoot, really, don't tell me you actually believe that nonsense?" Remus sat down across from him. "Wagtail is said to be dating Gwenog Jones, and he's more than ten years Mary's senior. The rest are simply her friends, other than the Slytherins. Surely you can see that."

"You're right." Sirius took a deep breath and then a long drink. "It's just, I thought I had Skeeter bloody well under control. I better call Mary and warn her."

"It's three in the afternoon. She's likely in class and has been dealing with the fallout since this morning. You know Mary—she'll call if she needs us. All we can do is be here to support her, not interrogate her, Sirius."

Sirius let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "That seems to be all we can do. Sit on the sidelines and watch as her life and reputation is destroyed by outside forces."

"We're doing more than that." Remus placed a large tome on the table. "Look at this, I think I've found what Dumbledore is searching for."

* * *

Mary avoided everyone, keeping her hood up and her head down as she went from class to class. Anger and embarrassment flooded through her veins, making Occlumency even more difficult than usual. Ron and Hermione gave her a wide berth, knowing that her mood would take a while to improve.

So, she sat in the DADA classroom, listening to Moody name the different counters for the Leg-Locker jinx, while she brooded at her desk and doodled in her notebook. Her hair tickled her neck, and she brushed it aside. An unfamiliar feeling traveled up her spine, like a bug crawling across her skin with tiny barbed feet. Was it a prank? Fred and George were overdue for getting back at her for the dungbomb incident. Slowly, she reached up to the spot just below her ear, her hand cupping something small, hard, and cold. She clenched her fist, not tightly, but just enough so that the bug didn't escape.

She remained there long after the bell rang and her peers scrambled to leave.

"You okay, Mary?" Ron stopped at her desk.

"Go on ahead." She tilted her head towards the door. "I need to have a word with Professor Moody."

Hermione gave her a searching look, but grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him out of the classroom.

Moody's magical eye spun toward her as soon as the class was empty, the man stopping on his way out of the door. "What is it, Potter?"

Mary put a finger to her lips, not wanting to alert the beetle to her plans. Instead she stood, rushing towards the jar of bloodworms on Moody's desk flicking her wand at it and causing the lid to unscrew. She dumped the insects out onto the floor and carefully slid the beetle into the jar.

"I'm sure you know a spell that can show whether or not it's an Animagus, sir?"

Moody stomped forward, wand out, not hesitating. " _Revelio!"_

A blue light hovered around the jar, herself, and Moody while the sound of three ringing bells sounded in the empty classroom.

"Good work, Potter." Moody's hand gripped her shoulder for a brief moment.

Mary pulled the Marauder's Map out of her pocket, tapping it with her wand and saying the password. Moody watched, enthralled as the floor plan of the school etched itself onto the parchment, showing his classroom and their names standing on either side of a dot labeled, Rita Skeeter.

Moody laughed, lifting the jar and shaking it slightly as the beetle skittered from side to side. "You go on. I think Skeeter and I are going to take a trip to the Ministry. What is the punishment these days? Six months in Azkaban and a hefty fine, I think?"

Dumbstruck, Mary walked out of the classroom, only stopping briefly to pick up her backpack.

Moody wasn't at dinner that night, and Mary suspected that he was still at the Ministry due to the fact that he wasn't appearing on the map. She checked every ten minutes, worried that something had gone wrong. Amelia Bones was a fine and fair Minister so there was no worry about Rita getting away. What Mary worried about was Moody himself. What if he was caught and captured? What if Barty Jr. found him? Just like every person she had tried to save, she always wondered if she would succeed or fail.

"Put the map away and eat already." Ron heaped a pile of steak and kidney pie onto her plate. "And pass the rolls, will ya?"

Mary absently picked at her food while a few of the Slytherin girls cut their eyes in her direction, Rita's latest article still fresh in everyone's minds.

"How about that date, Potter?" Malfoy ignored Pansy's indignant gasp.

"Over your dead body." Mary's smile showed too many teeth. "Same goes for you Nott and Zabini."

"You're not my type." Zabini shrugged, letting out a chuckle.

Nott shook his head and focused on his meal, as though she didn't exist.

Even the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw girls were distant. They alternated between glaring at her or whispering behind their hands as though she couldn't hear them. Nothing!  _Nothing_  Rita had written in that article was true. Her friends knew it. She knew it. If only she could get the rest of the Wizarding World to believe her!

A commotion at the Fifth year table had them all turning around. Cedric was walking away while Cho burst into tears, her friend, Marietta, there to pat her back.

"What was that about?" Lavender leaned forward with a gleam in her eyes.

"Cedric finally broke up with her." Susan looked down at her plate. "I overheard him planning it last night."

"They're so good together though!" Parvati nearly shouted.

"It's none of our business." Hannah's eyes met Mary's for a brief second before looking away. "And he shouldn't have done that in such a public place."

Why had they broken up? Was it because of the article? Did Rita's words have the power to tear apart a couple who had appeared otherwise happy in their relationship? And the biggest question floating through her mind was—should she try and fix it?

A dull thumping noise pulled her attention to the head table where Moody and Mr. Crouch walked in, the former leaning down to speak to Dumbledore before his magical eye swivelled to focus on Mary. The man's face split into a twisted smile and Mary knew it was done. Rita had been dealt with. Still though, she pulled the map out of her pocket and scanned the names. Alastor Moody, Bartemius Crouch. She let out a breath, shoving the map back into her pocket, and resumed her meal with fervor.

* * *

The next two weeks passed in roughly the same fashion. Mary would be out of the castle at first light, trudging across the snow covered grounds to the Black Lake alongside Fleur and Viktor. Conversation usually focused on the task, and Mary was glad to know that both of them were ready for it. They'd swim for an hour or two before getting ready for class.

The first Hogsmeade weekend, Mary's arm was hooked with Fleur's, walking to the Great Hall, when someone grabbed her other arm. She jerked away, rubbing furiously at her skin. The full moon had been last night, and her bones still protested at any movement on that side. Holding back the instinct to lash out, she turned to see Cedric standing there, a dreamy smile on his face while he looked from her to Fleur as though in a daze.

"You okay?" Mary let go of Fleur, feeling everyone stare as they stood in the doorway.

Mr. Crouch brushed past them, a scowl on his face that they were blocking the entrance, so Mary stepped to the side, pulling on the sleeve of Cedric's robe, forcing him to follow.

"What's up?"

"I'd like to escort you to Hogsmeade today, Mary." Cedric's lips twitched slightly as soon as they were around the corner.

"Oh." Mary's breath left her in a whoosh. "Uh, I've made plans with my friends."

"They won't mind." Cedric stepped closer. "It'll be fun. I promise."

"Maybe next time," Mary said after a minute. "We can still meet up at some point today. I'd just rather not bail out on my friends at last minute."

"I'll see you there then." Cedric shook his head in confusion and walked away.

Mary pushed all thoughts of the odd Hufflepuff out of her mind while she ate breakfast. She ignored questions and looks, putting all of her focus on cleaning her plate. Her daily swims had brought out the stark reality of her situation. Going without food was seriously hindering her ability to gain muscle. She was over letting her nerves get the better of her. If she was ever going to fight Voldemort and his minions then she needed to be in top shape, not some helpless wispy little waif.

A few hours later, a sense of giddiness and anticipation had Mary nearly hopping in place as they ordered their drinks and took a seat in the corner booth of the Three Broomsticks, enjoying their Butterbeer and trying their best to warm up. Each shop they had walked past was packed to the gills with customers, both students and locals alike. The crowded streets were difficult to navigate and the icy cobblestone path made it nearly dangerous, so they'd detoured into the pub, hoping the storm would die down before they got on with their shopping.

"I need new quills, so Scrivenshaft's is a must." Hermione was going over her list. "And I'd like to get a few extra potions ingredients."

Ron and Mary shared a look. They knew Hermione liked to go to the Room of Requirement and practice her potions before she had to make them in class. And without fail, Mary and Ron were required to accompany her. It was probably the only reason all three of them were excelling in potions that year.

"Honeydukes next," Ron added. "The new line of Chocolate frog cards are out and I'm hoping to finally get Agrippa."

"Do you have everything you need for the task?" Hermione leaned forward, keeping her voice low. "I've been researching potions, but haven't been able to find anything that could help you for more than fifteen minutes at a time."

"I think I'm going to stick with Gillyweed." Mary nodded, holding her hands tightly around the warm mug to keep from fidgeting. "Neville's sure it's the best choice. It's the simplest too. Mrs. Woodcroft promised she'd have a fresh batch in, so I asked Neville to help me pick out the right portion."

"Smart choice, that." Ron shook his head. "Be a right shame if it wore off too soon."

"It'd be deadly," Hermione said, worry lacing her voice. "Are you sure you're okay, Mary?"

"I'm fine," Mary replied through clenched teeth. "I've got a weird feeling about today. Just anxious, you know? Ready to have everything in place for the second task."

"I'm glad you're trying to be more prepared." Hermione beamed with a sense of pride.

As promised, Neville was outside the Herbology shop, huddled close to Ginny and Luna.

"Hiya, Mary!" Ginny smiled. "We were just about to go in without you."

"You should have." Mary crossed her arms and shivered. "It's bloody well freezing out here."

Luna walked in first, casting a drying spell on their shoes and the floor.

"Oh, thank you, child!" Mrs. Woodcroft, a stout elderly witch rounded the counter, her eyes widening when she spotted them. "Neville! You're going to be thrilled, love! I have something you need to see. Come now, all of you."

They followed her into the backroom. It was humid and stifling hot. At first, Mary felt immensely relieved by the overwhelming heat, but as the minutes dragged on, she felt like she was going to melt. It didn't help that she couldn't take off her cloak. There were so many plants that she could barely walk the path without brushing against one. Some of them were mundane, but Mary was sure she saw at least three Venomous Tentacula.

"Is that a Whomping Willow?" Hermione pointed to a small tree with large burl like knots on the end of it's limbs.

"It is!" The witch exclaimed, turning to stare at the tree with a glare. "I'm sure you've all been near the one up at the school. This is a sapling of that same tree. Poor thing's not very fond of me."

It didn't seem to mind Neville though; none of the plants did. He turned to Mrs. Woodcroft with excited eyes. "What do you have for me this time?"

"There in the corner, love." Mrs. Woodcroft pointed to a large glass tank in the back of the greenhouse. It was covered with a tarp and the closer they got the worse the smell became. Like old bog water.

"Witch's Ganglion!" Neville cried out, nearly jumping back.

"It can't be!" Hermione took a step forward, eyes widening at the sight of the red throbbing bulb that floated near the surface of the water. "Wherever did you find it?"

"Took a trip to Singapore, I did." Mrs. Woodcroft beamed. "Couldn't leave there without snagging me one. Ministry nearly didn't let me bring it into the country."

Neville touched one of the finger-like leaves in reverence. "Owl me when it's mature?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way, love." She patted Neville's cheek, then helped him tug the tarp back over the mysterious plant. "Now, Miss Potter, I believe we have a fresh stockpile of Gillyweed for you to look through."

"It's why I brought, Nev, ma'am." Mary lightly punched his shoulder. "I need a portion large enough to keep me breathing underwater for just over an hour. No more or less."

"I see." The witch shot her a knowing look over the rim of her glasses, turning to place a withered hand on Neville's cheek. "Go on, love, you're more than capable of getting her what she needs."

Five of them walked over to where there was another tank. Small fish swam through the long tendrils of Gillyweed. Mary looked over her shoulder to see Luna touching the leaves on a particularly large Snargaluff tree. The tree seemed to shudder under her fingers, almost like it was ticklish. Irritation ran through Mary, but she quickly clamped it down, clearing her mind, before focusing on Neville once again.

"This bit looks perfect." Neville carefully plucked a long narrow leaf from the water and wrapped it up, placing it in a paper bag. "Is that all, you think?"

"Oh no." Mary looked into the tank. "I need at least enough for ten people. Not to keep them underwater that long, of course. If I'm going to be subjected to the icy depths of the Black Lake, then you lot are at least going to try it out with me. Viktor and Fleur too."

Her group of friends didn't appear to mirror her enthusiasm and stared at the weed like it was going to eat them. To be honest, Mary felt a little bit betrayed.

Luna was the first to step forward. "A swim sounds quite lovely. I've never had gills before, but I imagine it will be fun. Father and I have a theory that Nessie is living in the Black Lake. Maybe I'll get the chance to see her."

"Just what we need," Ron groaned. "Another monster."

Mrs. Woodcroft was waiting for them at the counter and quickly rang up their purchases, giving them specific instructions not to let their ingredients come into contact with any magic. And because Neville was 'such a dear' she even supplied them with a small crate to put everything in, handing it to Neville like it was a delicate baby.

"Don't you keep them in the cold too long." She gripped Neville's shoulder. "Keep them somewhere safe and warm. And—"

"—don't forget to respect the plants," Neville finished with a smile.

Mary grabbed an owl-order form from beside the register and shoved it into her pocket, knowing it would come in handy during the times they might not be able to make it into town.

Neville stopped at the door, carefully holding the crate. "I'm going to take this back up to the castle. Get me some Droobles and Chocolate flies and I'll pay you back later?"

"Some Fizzing Whizbees for me," Ginny added. "I'll go back with you, Nev."

"You coming with us, Luna?" Mary asked, hand still on the doorknob.

Luna tilted her head to the side. "I'm fine going back to the castle. Thank you for the offer though."

"She likes Jelly Slugs." Ginny laughed, elbowing Luna. "Don't you?"

"They are quite good." Luna furrowed her brows. "Keep your earrings on, Mary. The Nargles are really active today."

"I never take them off." Mary touched the radish shaped earrings lightly. "You guys be careful. It's a mess out there."

She opened the door, and Ron had to help her fight to close it behind them when a blast of wind and snow pelted them in the face, nearly pulling the door out of their grip. Neville, Ginny, and Luna huddled together and rushed across town, the whiteout seeming to engulf them until they were lost from view.

Ron and Hermione stayed close, the three of them holding onto each other until they were safely inside the warmth of Honeydukes. They split up gathering what they needed and met at the counter where Mary paid for the massive pile of sweets.

"I have pocket money," Ron said with a tinge of embarrassment.

"You lot helped me out today, and I'm going to put you through the ringer helping me test out the Gillyweed, so see this as payment in advance."

"I don't know how comfortable I feel about swimming in the Black Lake." Hermione bit her lip. "Especially in winter, but I'll help out however I can."

"It's not so bad with the right charms." Mary chuckled. "I'm sure Fleur wouldn't mind teaching them to you. She has a whole book on them in the Beauxbatons carriage."

"You've seen the inside?" Ron asked in amazement. "When was this?"

Mary shrugged. "Every other day. The Durmstrang ship is bloody awesome. I've only been in it once though. Karkaroff kicked me out and said I wasn't allowed."

"That doesn't make sense." Hermione frowned. "After all we're supposed to be working on cooperation. And I doubt there is anything in their ship that calls for drastic security."

"Tell that to the library overflowing with Dark Arts books," Mary muttered. "It's for the best really, I'd rather not push my luck and get Viktor in trouble."

"Still though." Hermione reached for the door. "And what on earth are they doing with a library like that on a ship? The humidity could ruin the books!"

Ron and Mary both let out a laugh. Dark Arts or not, Hermione was not happy with the thought of a single book being put in danger. She ranted about it as they made their final stop at Zonko's. And when she realised that she was being largely ignored, began berating them both for buying and bringing joke products into the school.

"Shh!" Ron pulled them both back behind a shelf and peeked around the edge.

Mary ducked her head around and saw Fred and George deep in conversation with Mr. Zonko in the back of the shop.

"What are they up to?" Hermione whispered.

Mary shrugged her shoulders. The twins had plans to propose a partnership with the elderly wizard, but it would be another year before they graduated. Had Sirius already given them the money to start up their shop? Mary made a mental note to ask her godfathers about it the next chance she had.

After paying for their stuff, the trio were back on High Street, pockets bulging with their shrunken purchases. The snowfall continued in a wave that made it difficult to see even ten steps ahead of them.

"Reckon we should go back into one of the shops and wait it out?" Ron asked, pulling his hood up to cover his ears.

Another blast of wind blew through, nearly knocking Mary over, but a hand caught her arm and steadied her.

"I've been looking for you."

Mary's gaze traveled up to see Cedric standing there, hand once again wrapped around her bad arm. "Thanks… I guess. I about busted my backside."

"Can I talk to you in private? It will only take a second." Cedric tilted his head in the direction of the crowd and Mary saw at least two photographers, one of which she knew was Bozo, rushing toward them.

"We're heading back to the castle." Ron moved closer to Mary's side. "It's getting late."

"You're welcome to join us," Hermione said quickly, eyes darting between them.

Mary didn't know what to think. He was acting odd. Cedric had never willingly sought her out other than the times when Quidditch was concerned. Why now? Why here? What was so important that he couldn't wait until they were back in the warm school?

"It'll just take a second." He leaned closer. "I promise."

His fingers dug into her scars. She winced, tried to pull away, but he was already hauling her into the alleyway, pushing her up against the stone wall. His hand was digging into his pocket, and before she realised what he intended to do, his lips crashed into hers. Her mind went blank. All she could hear was white noise and the pounding of her heart.

Mary broke free of his grip, shoving him away. The flash of cameras bounced off the snowflakes. Cedric stood there in shock, a chocolate rose held in his hand, confusion and anger lining his features.

Hands touching her lips, Mary turned away without a word and rushed to where Ron and Hermione stood at the front of the growing crowd. To their left was Cho, her face scrunched up in pain. Mary ignored all of them, pushing past the gaping onlookers until she had room. Then, she ran. Snow packed into the soles of her shoes, making her slip and slide, but she didn't slow down or stop. Filch yelled after her at the gates, but she paid him no mind, running towards the doors. Her hair and scarf were nearly frozen solid, her boots covered in thick powder, but she didn't care. Not even Snape, standing there in the doorway was enough to keep her from darting into the warmth of the castle and putting as much distance as she could between everyone and herself.

Her first kiss had been nothing more than a ploy to make another girl jealous.

Her lips moved, speaking the password to the Fat Lady, but she heard no sound escape. It was empty in the common room other than a few first years. Quiet. Too quiet. She didn't want quiet. She didn't want to give herself time to think, to let that phantom anger flood in.

 _Clear your mind, Potter,_  the voice echoed from the depths of Harry's memories.  _You are handing me weapons._

Mary grabbed what she needed from the dorm and rushed back down the stairs, finding Ron and Hermione standing at the bottom. Ron's face was flushed red, the tips of his ears the same shade as his hair. Hermione was pale in contrast, her face bleached of all color as she pounced and enveloped Mary into a tight hug. Mary stood there stiff, numb, completely unwilling to give voice to what had happened. And at the same time, she didn't feel any true loss. It was a kiss. Her first kiss. But she hadn't felt anything other than shocked and a little put out. Why was this bothering her so much?

Mary didn't fancy Cedric. In fact she'd never really fancied anyone. What was the point? She only ever saw him as a fellow quidditch player and somewhat as a friend. There was enough shit to deal with—with the tournament and life in general. She didn't need to add being a pawn in his dating life to the list. She didn't have the energy for any more drama.

"I'm fine, Hermione," Mary finally said, gently pulling away. "I'm going flying to clear my head."

Hermione bit her lip. "It's freezing out there. The weather is turning out worse than they expected. Tomorrow—"

Mary cut her off. "I won't be long. Promise."

They didn't leave her alone. Even though she stayed silent, they stuck with her. She didn't deserve them. It broke her heart to think about what she would eventually have to do. Cut all ties. Ignore them, maybe even hurt their feelings. Whatever it took to get them to forget her and leave them safe from Voldemort and his minions. That's what Harry'd done. Only he was too late. He'd left them to their grief and walked into the Forbidden Forest alone. But by that time, Tom already knew exactly who to hurt if he wanted to hurt Harry. And he made that clear with his capturing of Hagrid. Her friends and family would be at the top of his kill list.

Her broom pulled her high into the clouds, and she looked down, watching as the snow drifted towards her friends. Ron sat on the top step, Hermione leaning her head on his shoulder. She could see their lips moving, but didn't hear a word that was spoken. Instead of flying closer, she flew in the opposite direction, taking in deep breaths until she felt calm enough to completely occlude her mind.

"You're half frozen!" Hermione shrieked, waving her wand over Mary and casting three spells as soon as she landed.

Mary felt her robes and hair dry instantly, then warm up as the smell of freshly laundered clothes invaded her nostrils. She sneezed, covering her nose with both hands. Hermione shot her a sympathetic look, and Mary held her hands out and her friend didn't disappoint casting a cleaning charm on them.

"Let's go wash up and head to dinner," Hermione said in a stern voice.

Ron's stomach grumbled. "Yeah, I'm starved."

Hermione followed her into one of the first floor lavatories, and together they made themselves presentable. Mary stood in front of the mirror, pulling her hair back into a bun. Her lightning bolt scar was a deep dark red, the skin puckering at the edges.  _He_ was angry. She wanted to rail and rage. She needed just a single day of peace without errant and unwanted emotions breaking through. But no, that would only give him a foothold into her mind. So, once again, she pushed everything down and took in another deep breath, clearing her mind.

Fred and George were all smiles. Suspicious smiles. Standing there waiting for her and Hermione as they pestered Ron. That was when she noticed it. Ron was favoring his right hand.

"Knew you had it in you." Fred patted Ron hard on the back.

"Made us right proud, you did," George added.

"Saw it happen from the window of Zonko's."

"Saw what?" Mary stepped closer, wand at her side, glaring at her best mate's injured hand. "What happened to you?"

"He decked Diggory!" Fred crowed. "Knocked that puffer flat on his back."

Mary held out her hand, palm up. "Let me see."

Ron hesitated before holding out his own. His knuckles were bruised and red. She flicked her wand, casting the same diagnoses spell that Auntie Andy and Madam Pomfrey had used on her time and time again. Nothing was broken, just some swollen joints.

" _Episkey,_ " Mary said the spell, watching as the swelling went down and the bruising faded. "I'll give you some cream to put on it tonight, but you should be fine by morning."

Fred and George simultaneously took a step toward her.

"Teach us?"

"We have a knack for making pranks that leave us a little worse for wear."

"You should ask Sirius," Mary replied honestly. "He's far better at healing than I am."

"You should be learning from a trained professional," Hermione interjected, then turned to Ron. "And  _you_  should have gone to the infirmary like I told you to!"

"Budge off, Granger." Fred tugged at Hermione's frizzy hair. "Ronnie did a good thing."

Hermione's glare died, and her lips turned up in a wry smile. "He did do good, didn't he?"

"He shouldn't have." Mary shook her head and put her arm around Ron's shoulders. "But thanks, Ron."

Ron beamed when Hermione grasped his hand. "He had it coming, didn't he?"

Ron stayed in a smug mood all evening, recalling the tale each time someone new asked about it. Cedric wasn't at dinner, and for that, Mary was grateful. There was too much to deal with already. The Gryffindor upper years were ready to beat him into a pulp. Viktor was glaring murderously at the doorway. Each and every one of her yearmates were walking on eggshells around her as though they too would be the target of some kind of retribution.

None of it made any sense.

* * *

Mary stared up at the ceiling that night, wondering what she'd missed. Moody was still Moody and Mr. Crouch was still Mr. Crouch. Rita was in Azkaban. And she damn sure had no feelings for Cho Chang, or anyone else for that matter. She thought she'd set things to rights, that she'd changed the future for the better, but now, after the days events, she wondered what had gone wrong. Again and again, she read through the journal where she'd written Harry's memories of that year and nothing seemed to fit.

She focused on her breathing and rubbed the numbing potion into her arm. It was the full moon again and she worried about her godfathers. Wiping her hand on a flannel, she grabbed the mirror from her bedside table and closed the curtains back.

"Sirius." She breathed onto the glass.

His face came into view but the light was dull and she could barely make out the basement room in Grimmauld place. "You okay, kid?"

"Just wanted to check in on you and Moony." She shrugged her shoulders. "How is he?"

"I'm fine, Mary Jane." Remus' tired face appeared in the background. "How's your arm? Did you apply the cream?"

"As always, Moomy." Mary smiled. "Did you take your potion?"

"Who's the adult here?" Sirius lifted a brow at her. "Don't you trust that I can take care of him?"

"What happened to the goldfish I bought you for your birthday?" Mary asked for the hundredth time since August.

"He jumped out of the bowl and into the sink!" Sirius shot her a withering look. "Old boy made a mad dash for freedom!"

"That's not what Kreacher said." Mary glared back. "I was told that you refused to pay the owl for the Prophet and he snatched the goldfish out of the bowl and ate him!"

"Lies!" Sirius gasped, holding a hand over his heart.

"Enough you two!" Remus came back into the frame. "Mary Jane, it's nearly moonrise so we need to lock things up."

"Stay safe," Mary whispered, a frown on her face.

"Love you, kiddo," Sirius said soberly. "Give us a call in the morning."

"Love you both." Mary tapped the mirror with her wand, ending the call.

She was too wound up to sleep. All of her homework was finished. There was nothing left for her to do other than lay there and brood. Tugging on her robe, she put the mirror in one pocket and her Invisibility cloak in the other. She tiptoed down the stairs and out into the castle proper.

Mary didn't even remember what she'd requested when she stepped into the Room of Requirement, only that the room was small and almost too warm. A fire roared in the hearth and a thick plush armchair sat next to it. She took her seat, wishing she'd brought a snack or a book. Anything to occupy her hands and mind. A radio appeared next to her, and she turned it on, finding a station that played the top hits. Myron's voice echoed through the speakers and she grimaced, thinking about the article.

Anger was pulsing through her in thick dark waves. No matter how hard she fought to occlude, it was still seeping in, making her teeth and fists clench. Curiosity and intrigue warred with that anger, making her long to let go and see what had made Voldemort so angry. Had someone thwarted his plans? Was someone in danger? Those thoughts started to poke holes in her resolve. No, she wouldn't give in. She would never willingly give  _him_  a hold on her mind.

The room changed again, widening and twisting until it was a large stone room with a huge swimming pool in the middle. The steam floated above the water like a low cloud. A small table popped into existence with a swimsuit and towels.

Mary looked down at the paste covering her Muggle arm and sighed. She had enough in her dorm for one more application. With that thought in mind, she got ready and swam. The warm water soothed her aching bones. Floating lazily on the surface was almost as nice as flying. She stayed there for hours, letting all of her thoughts and worries drift away as best as she could until the DJ on the Wizarding Wireless announced that it was nearing sunrise.

Mary scrambled out of the pool, dressed quickly, and under the cover of the Invisibility cloak, went back to her dorm where Lavender and Parvati would be waiting to dress her up. The map. Something felt off. Cedric wasn't anywhere on it. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Moody were in the Headmaster's Office alongside someone named Miriam Strout. She'd heard that name before. It was there—niggling at the corner of her mind.

All of those errant thoughts left her mind after she was accosted by her roommates. She'd refused to wear anything fancy or bold and instead walked into the Great Hall wearing three different shades of grey. It was still early so few people were walking around, filling their plates and talking in near whispers. Owls darted in and out of the large overhead windows dropping parcels and letters for their owners.

Mary was a little stunned when a solid black eagle owl flew toward her, gracefully landing on her shoulder and extending his right foot. A small parcel. She freed him of his burden and held up a rasher of bacon.

"Thank you." She stroked his dark feathers. "Who do you belong to?"

"Maybe you should have one of the professors check it first?" Hermione stared at the parcel in worry. "Anyone could have sent it."

Viktor paused, fork hovering in front of his mouth. "Very right. It is your Sirius or Remus?"

"Nah, I talked to them last night." Mary shook her head.

Using the dark detection spells that Moody taught them, Mary carefully checked that the contents were safe, waiting patiently as Hermione and Viktor did the same. Nothing appeared amiss, and Mary carefully untied the twine and pulled back the paper wrapping. A letter sat at the top of the box, and she recognized the handwriting immediately.

"Charlie!" She grinned. "I didn't expect a reply so soon!"

There wasn't one letter, but five. And the box had some kind of expansion charm, because it held a lot more than she thought it would.

"Here." Mary handed two wrapped packages and letters to Hermione. "It's for you. Hold onto Ron's for me?"

Hermione nodded absently, tearing into the brown paper and smiling. "It's a book on the magical history of Romania!"

"I'd like to borrow that when you're finished." Mary beamed, opening her letter first.

_**Mary,** _

_**Thank you for the feathers! And yes, all three dragons have hatched their eggs. Dani now has three hatchlings. Two boys and a girl. We're trying to come up with names, so if you have any suggestions let me know.** _

_**The riddle for the second task sounds very ominous. I hope the professors are helping you prepare. If not, just say the word, and I'll do everything I can to help. As I'm no longer involved with the Tasks, it wouldn't break any rules. Wish I could be there for it, but work's been busy. Hopefully, I'll be back around summer for a long holiday, and you can catch me up on everything I missed.** _

_**Please take care of yourself and try to stay safe.** _

— _ **Charlie**_

Mary carefully refolded the letter and placed it back in the envelope before she opened the small box. Inside sat two jet black dragon claws made into earrings and one large dragon scale. Her fingers brushed over them in awe.

"These are very nice things," Viktor observed. "How did he get these claws?"

"Do dragons get manicures?" Mary let out a laugh. "I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the one to suggest something like that to Dani."

"They are pretty." Hermione touched the earrings. "Are you going to wear them?"

"Have to ask if Sirius and Remus are okay with me piercing my ears again." Mary flicked the radish earrings she always wore. "Don't want the Nargles getting in."

Hermione pursed her lips, but it was Viktor who let out a loud laugh, calling everyone's attention to their table. Mary avoided their stares and went back to her breakfast. An idea was taking form in her mind about how she could repay Charlie for his kindness and she knew exactly who to ask for help.

She was trying to be positive, trying not to let things get to her. And it worked for the most part. Right up until another parliament of owls flew in, dropping off the morning edition of the Prophet. Hermione paid the owl and let out a squeak, turning the paper face down on the table.

Mary set her fork back onto her plate. "How bad?"

"It's not that bad." Hermione grimaced, but didn't stop Mary from grabbing the paper. "Really, it could be worse."

_**Trouble in Paradise?** _

_**Our young Miss Potter appears to be having trouble keeping her beaus in check. Just yesterday, during a Hogsmeade weekend, this reporter witnessed a very close encounter between Mary and one Cedric Diggory, but all was not going well. Just moments after sharing a heated kiss with the handsome Hufflepuff, Mary's close friend, Ronald Weasley, went ballistic and punched Mr. Diggory. Mary Potter fled the scene not long after, refusing to give a comment. How will Mr. Krum and the many other suitable suitors react to this news? Has Mary Potter already chosen which one she prefers?** _

_**Here to keep you updated, Betty Braithwaite, reporting in place of Rita Skeeter.** _

The article itself was bad, but the picture was far worse. Pressed up against a wall, his lips on hers, the Mary in the picture didn't fight him until that last moment. It was looped between Cedric kissing her, her pushing him away, Ron punching him, and Mary running from the scene. She watched it play over and over again, until her vision blurred and tinted red.

"Mary!"

Hermione's voice pulled her out of the haze. The paper was on fire, smoldering at the edges while the flames licked her hands. She watched as the tendrils wrapped around her fingers, felt them searing into her flesh. Water sprayed her from across the table and Mary looked up with a gasp, seeing Viktor standing over her, casting the Aguamenti charm. His dark eyes met hers, and she saw her own anger reflected back at her.

This wasn't right. These people didn't know her or her friends. They had no right to write such lies about her or them. The burnt newspaper was nothing more than a crumpled heap of soggy ash in her grip. She stared down at it, head throbbing. Something warm trickled down her brow and dripped from her lashes. Her fingers wiped it away, coming away bloodstained.

"Fire in the Great Hall, Potter?" A voice drawled from behind her, a strong hand pulling her from her seat. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Mary pulled free from his grip, not caring that everyone in the hall heard what she said. "Fuck off, Snape!"

"Detention," Snape ground out. "Starting now."

Mary grabbed a cloth napkin from the table and held it to her face, stalking down the halls and easily keeping up with Snape's brisk pace. A shudder ran through her. She wanted to hit something. Someone. She wanted to lash out in some way. As though they were answering her call, Malfoy and his lumbering buffoons rounded the corner.

* * *

The girl was going to be the death of him. Severus knew it for a fact. Too stupid, an idiotic Gryffindor. All without enough sense to protect herself from her own magic. Just another dimwitted student that made assumptions and ran straight forward into danger. It was best that the Sorting Hat chose to put her in Gryffindor. She would have burned Slytherin house to the ground in the first week alone.

Potter stayed within arms length like a stormcloud threatening to drown them all in her rage. Every move and sound she made screamed out hatred and pain. If it weren't for the fact that most of the school was already having their morning meal, he would have been worried about her being amongst the population in her current state of mind. As though they'd heard him, the three other idiots he was responsible for flounced into view.

 _And fire meets petrol,_  he thought, wand at the ready.

"Finally knock some sense into Potter, sir?" Draco smiled, not sensing the danger he was in.

The air crackled with magic and a lone portrait frame cracked, making the witch within shriek. Potter balled her hand into a fist, rearing back. His spell was just a second faster, leaving her bound and furious as Draco stumbled backwards.

"Go!" he hissed at his charges, casting a levitation and silencing charm on Potter. "Now!"

The three boys were barely out of sight when Potter broke free of his spells as though they were nothing, a snarl on her lips.

Without hesitating, he grabbed her by the tops of her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Control yourself and clear your mind!"

Those damned bright green eyes met his, half-rabid and frantic. "It hurts!"

Severus opened the door to his quarters and pushed her towards the couch, leaving her for a moment to grab what he needed. He stepped back into the room and found her sitting there, staring down at the blood soaked cloth. Her sudden calmness made him wary and he stepped forward carefully.

"This isn't who I am," she whispered. "I'm not a bad person. I'm occluding as best as I can, sir."

"Drink this." He handed her a vial of Calming Draught.

Her hand shook as she reached for it and swallowed the contents. "Thank you. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it, you know that right?"

"It was artful dissimulation." He crossed his arms. "Anything less and I'd have all of Hogwarts breathing down my neck about why you're in detention every weekend for the foreseeable future."

Despite the situation, she let out a laugh. "Any chance you can teach me how to make that numbing paste, during one of these detentions? I'm all out."

"No," he replied without hesitating.

Potter leaned back on his couch and pulled the thick quilt into her lap, playing with the loose threads. She was a conundrum. The bane of his existence. He hated her in the most vehement way.

He slashed his wand through the air, hearing the glasses clink together. "That particular numbing paste only has a six month shelf life."

The pitcher of water and glasses landed on the coffee table. He poured them each a glass, making sure she had a firm grip on hers before taking a drink from his own glass.

"Madam Pomfrey has my current stock in the infirmary," he said after a moment of her failing to protest. Did she really think he'd let her suffer? "I expected you to go to her if you needed more."

Potter's eyes lifted, wide and full of surprise. "Oh. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, sir."

"Stop playing the martyr, Potter." He stood up angrily, grabbing the mantle of his fireplace and staring into the flames. "You have no right! Everyone around you bends over backwards to keep you safe, and you take it for granted! How dare you—"

A loud snore broke through his rant, and he turned to see the infuriating girl stretched out on his couch deeply asleep.

_Gryffindors._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for this one. Also, please don't judge Cedric too harshly. Odd things are happening at Hogwarts. Things are getting darker. Mary's connection with Voldemort is far stronger than it should be. Not all is what it seems.
> 
> Future chapters should start flowing faster.
> 
> Much love to my partner in crime, theaberrantwritergirl for taking the time to beta this for me at 5 a.m.


	31. The Second Task

**22nd** **February, 1995**

"Ugh." Mary groaned, looking at the deep mud color of her potion.

"Another failure," Snape drawled, vanishing the contents of the cauldron. "Three hours, a severe hit to my ingredients stores, and you have yet to make even a passable draught. My, my Potter, one would think you were utterly incompetent."

One would also get his teeth kicked in. Mary thought viciously, gripping the handle of her knife until her knuckles turned white. "Again, sir?"

"No," Snape shook his head, causing Mary to look up in surprise and see the ugly sneer on his face. "Would you rather we make fairy cakes? I overheard you tell Longbottom that potions was akin to cooking class, so why shouldn't we endeavour to make useless things and sugar filled treats. AGAIN!"

Mary glared down at the knife in her muggle hand. "Yes, sir."

So for the fifth time Mary sorted out the ingredients she needed and carefully prepared them. The antidote he'd assigned her was tricky at best. Another potion that was far above NEWT level in complexity, but Snape demanded she brew it. Why? She couldn't figure out other than Snape saw it as a way to knock her back down to size, giving him material for years to come about just how stupid and brainless she really was.

Mary pulled her hair out of it's tie and twisted it up into a bun while she tried to mentally retrace her steps and figure out where she'd gone wrong this time. She put her hand on the worktable and paused, staring down at the appendage. She'd touched the ingredients at some point, that had to be it. They'd have better luck bringing Dudley in to brew potions for all her right hand was worth. It didn't help that Snape hovered over her like a dark cloud, barking out orders and instructions, constantly questioning her on her knowledge of potions that were leagues beyond her skill level. It set her nerves on edge and made it far too difficult to concentrate.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled as he stalked past once again. She occluded her mind while the light cadence of his footsteps fell into a pattern that mimicked the slices she was making with her knife.  _ **Slice. Slice. Slice.**_

Her vision blurred and her head throbbed, but her hands continued to move.  _ **Slice. Slice. Sli-**_

A cold hand grasped hers, pulling Mary out of her daze.

"Idiot girl!" Snape loomed over her, his grip painful. "Unless you aim to add pieces of my worktable and your own fingers to the antidote, I think the ginger roots are sliced finely enough."

Mary waited for him to let go, and then added the roots to the potion. She stirred carefully, adding each ingredient at the proffered time. And when it came to the last step, she said the charm, watching and waiting with bated breath.

The liquid bubbled and hissed, turning from a puce brown to a vibrant red. She'd done it! She looked up, expecting Snape to at least nod or give some form of praise, but thought again. He wasn't the type. The past four years had taught her that in explicit detail.

She let out a sigh of relief and carefully set the stirrer on the worktable. "Again, sir?"

"Bottle the contents." He pointed his wand at the shelf behind her and a set of small vials floated down, landing neatly on the worktop. "When you are finished, take two vials and keep them on you at all times."

Mary did as instructed, not wanting to waste another minute in the dungeons. It was a rare sunny day and Viktor had organized a pick up game of quidditch. A glance at her watch told her that she had less than a half hour before everyone would meet up at Hagrid's. That would give her just enough time to grab her broom and put up her things.

But as she was placing the filled vials on his desk something odd caught her eye. A chocolate rose sat unwrapped on his desk, a small portion of it cut away, placed next to a cauldron filled with a liquid that smelled wonderful. Like new leather and sunlight on a spring morning.

All at once she lost her breath, air lodged in her throat, and jerked away making Snape lose his grip on her robes. She landed in a heap on the ground while Snape placed a lid over the cauldron a dark look in his eyes as he turned and leaned down toward her. Those coal eyes glimmered nastily and she couldn't help but look away.

"Find something you like, Potter?"

"No, sir." She clenched her fists, standing quickly though he was blocking her path.

It'd been quite a while since she'd felt so trapped. Not since the Dursleys. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her wand was in her hand and pointed at his chest before she could even blink. He won't hurt me. She told herself, meeting his gaze.

"Get. Out." He spat the words out as though she was some lowly creature that had wandered into his home.

Not needing any more of an invitation, Mary fled the classroom. What the hell was Snape playing at grabbing her like that? What was in that potion? Who in the sodding fuck would want to give  _that_  man a chocolate rose? The thought alone made her shudder, her breakfast nearly making a return trip. She swallowed hard. Damn that hurts. She rubbed at her neck. Another bruise. It made her regret wearing a normal jumper. Had she wore her school robes she would at least have something to cover the red marks she was sure were there.

People once again avoided her in the halls. Slytherin territory. The fourth years were somewhat okay with her, other than Malfoy and his cronies, of course, but the upper years despised her. The lower years were scared of her. That fact was almost amusing as she passed a group of firsties who scrambled to get out of her way, darting behind a suit of armor to hide. Mary stopped walking, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She turned to tell them not to be scared, but the moment her eyes landed on them they darted back towards their common room. She stood there staring at their retreating backs for a moment. How would she ever get the Slytherins on her side if they feared her?

Minutes later she had her broom over her shoulder, stepping out of the portrait hole when she was accosted from both sides. Fred and George flanked her, walking like bodyguards as they chuckled and acted as though she couldn't hear them.

"What am I missing?" Mary stopped to stare at them.

"Nothing, Mary dear." George put his arm around her shoulders, turning her back toward the Entrance Hall.

Fred hooked his arm through hers. "You're our second favorite sister, you know that, right?"

"I guess." Mary tilted her head, trying to find what they were playing at. "Spill. I don't do well with this vague shite."

"It's mum." George answered. "She's always been a touch inclined to believe the Prophet."

"Fuck." Mary groaned, her hopes of missing out on Mrs. Weasley's ire due to Rita's dabbling were dashed.

Fred laughed. "We're both pretty sure that mum's just gone mad, you see? But we don't like leaving these things up to fate."

"So, sis, the two of us are going to be looking out for your virtue."

"My what?!" Mary's mouth dropped open.

"You heard him." George ruffled her hair. "We're going to keep the nasty boys away."

And it was just her luck that when they rounded the corner, both Cedric and Cho were standing there. Cho was shaking her head, and Cedric was waving his hands in an exaggerated manner. Cho crossed her arms and glared in Mary's direction. Cedric followed her gaze and then blushed furiously, looking anywhere but at her.

It'd been like that for almost a month since the 'Incident of Hogsmeade' as Lavender called it. Cedric pleading with Cho at any given time and her giving him the cold shoulder. It was a spectacle that the majority of Hogwarts had a betting pool on.

As for Cedric, he'd been downright odd, cagey at the best of times. Not that Mary had spoken to him. He avoided her at all cost, and when they did get in close quarters, he put as much distance between them as he could. She was grateful for that much at least. She didn't need  _that_  rumor spreading any further than it already had.

Viktor nodded a smile lighting up his face when she and her 'bodyguards' walked into the paddock. "Are you ready?"

Mary couldn't help but smile back, gripping her broom. "Let's go."

Viktor put his fingers to his lips and let out a high pitched whistle. "To count of ten. Then ve fly!"

Mary mounted her broom, as did the other fifty something students. The twice weekly broom races were slowly becoming a thing of legend. Everyone with a broom was allowed to participate, and usually McGonagall or Madam Hooch joined them as referees. Today they both did. Seeing that, Mary let out a sigh of relief. Things got nasty if they didn't have supervision. Already two students had been sent to the hospital wing due to cheating.

McGonagall blew the whistle and they were off. All of Mary's worries floated away, left behind as the wind rushed through her hair and the scenery blurred around her. The group kept the path of the tall stone wall that encircled the grounds. The hippogriffs and abraxans stomped at the ground as they flew past, almost like they felt left out.

Placement didn't matter to Mary much, she was just glad to be out in the fresh air. Especially after the bad business with Snape. Still though, that competitive thrill had her urging her broom faster. Malfoy on his Nimbus 2001 was to her left. Viktor was pulling ahead on his Firebolt. That just wouldn't do. Mary thought, crouching lower to give herself an aerodynamic advantage. She barrel rolled over Malfoy slimly missing the boundary line and crept closer to Viktor's side until they were neck and neck.

The water shimmered over the Black Lake, the snow on the ground next to it was blinding in contrast. The world was clean and bright. Mary sucked in a deep breath of crisp winter air and urged her broom to go faster. She rounded the next tight corner with no time to spare, breaking away from the others and pulling ahead. The finish line was growing closer, she could see the smoke from Hagrids chimney in the distance, lazily drifting into the sky like a beacon. She peeked over her shoulder, seeing Viktor right at her heels. A smirk pulled at her cheeks and she refocused on her goal. And just like their other broom races just as Hagrid's hut was within spitting distance, she pulled her broom straight up into the air. Viktor let out a little laugh as he followed. Mary pulled her broom to a halt, hovering there, high in the sky as she tried to catch her breath, watching as the tiny dots below zoomed by.

"Last place again." Viktor smiled.

Mary let out another breath, feeling more relaxed than she had in awhile. "Totally worth it."

"Race you to the ground?"

"You're on."

It was a tie in the end. Neither McGonagall or Hooch could say who had been closest to the ground when they'd pulled their brooms up. All Mary knew was that she was winded and hungry. Tired too. It'd been days since she'd had a decent nights sleep, and given everything that was to come, she couldn't help but look forward to simply rest.

* * *

"So Sluggie was no help." Sirius brushed the ash from his robes.

Remus cast a cleaning charm on his own robes and sat down at the table. "His insight was quite helpful. And there is certainly more than he is willing to tell us."

"You got that too?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair, feeling his fingers come away greasy. "I need a shower."

Remus pulled a thick tome closer. "Dinner first. I think Dumbledore is right though, we may end up needing a Curse Breaker."

"Dobby!" Sirius called out.

Seconds later the little elf appeared, dressed in a garish purple tuxedo complete with tails and tophat. "What can Dobby be doing for sir?"

Sirius blinked away his confusion. "Are there sandwiches in the icebox?"

Dobby looked over his shoulder, eyeing the the cabinetry. "There are being sandwiches. Is that all sir needed to know?"

Sirius lifted a brow. "That's all, Dobby."

Dobby giggled, white gloved hand held out before he snapped his fingers, disappearing with a faint 'pop'.

"The nerve! This is all Mary's doing, Moony! She's corrupted the sanctity of house elves!"

The words had barely left his mouth before a tray of tea sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice materialized in the middle of the table. Moony just shook his head and laughed, grabbing a plate and glass from the tray and serving himself. Sirius, on the other hand, stared at the offerings with deep distrust. Given that the little elf was in cahoots with Mary, he didn't know whether to trust the food or not. Any manner of things could happen.

"It's safe." Moony took a second bite, washing it down with some juice. "See?"

Sirius watched him with a critical eye, waiting. When nothing happened, he decided all was well and served himself. It would take time for them to receive a reply and there was no use in going hungry in the meantime.

A loud 'ding' echoed through the kitchen and they both turned to the Floo in time to see Bill stepping out. "Came as soon as Karnok's owl reached me. So what on earth do you need a Gringotts Curse Breaker for?"

"You know how a defense professor at Hogwarts has never lasted more than a year?" Moony started, giving Bill time to digest the statement.

Bill smiled widely. "It's a good thing I'm back in England. This isn't something I'd want to miss."

"Good to have you on board." Sirius gestured to the seat across from him, singing; " _Help yourself to some lunch, the pumpkin juice packs a punch!_ "

Moony slapped a hand over his mouth, dissolving into giggles. Bill rolled his eyes but made no move to sit.

"I think Sirius is the target for this latest prank." Moony, the betrayer, told their guest. "It should be safe enough for the rest of us."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. There was no chance in hell that he'd be interrogating the young man on his younger brothers' possible relations with his goddaughter while singing. And now he was no longer hungry.

"What do you have for me?" Bill asked, sitting down and flipping through the stacks of parchment Moony had passed his way. "This is really in depth research. Have you had the chance to study the room itself?"

"We'll be going in the morning." Moony said. "You're welcome to join us. The castle should be empty given it's the second task."

Bill looked up sharply. "You don't want to be there for Mary?"

"Oh we will." Moony caught Sirius' dark gaze. "Classes are canceled, so Mad-Eye gave us permission to poke around the office and classroom both before and after the task."

Bill leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Could you not figure out a way to get her out of the Tournament?"

Sirius stupidly opened his mouth. " _Old Dumbles plan sucked, guess Mary is fu-_ "

"Sirius!" Remus cut him off, a high pitched reprimand on his lips, though he was trying to hide his laughter. "I told you that she would get you back for the singing sweets."

Bill looked between the two with a raised brow. "I don't want to know, do I?"

Sirius tried a counter spell, hoping it would work, muttering under his breath until he was no longer singing when he spoke. "Karnok assured me we'd get the best Curse Breaker. You sure you're up for the job?"

"They called me in from Egypt for this alone, so I hope I'm up for it. Otherwise I'm out of a decent paycheck and lost time on our most recent dig." Bill replied, confident but not cocky.

Sirius waved his wand, sending a bottle of Firewhiskey and three tumblers floating onto the table. "Enough work. Let's have a drink."

* * *

**February 24th, 1995**

"You'll do just fine, Potter." McGonagall put a hand on Mary's shoulder, moving closer to her side as they walked towards the small rowboats. "Just try your best. And be careful or Madam Pomfrey will have both our heads."

Mary tugged her thick cloak tighter around herself. "Yes, Professor."

It was still early and a low fog wafted off the water as they stepped into the boat and let it magically propel them towards the stands in the middle of the Black Lake.

The judges looked up at them the second they stepped onto the platform and Mary realized that they were the first to arrive. She took a seat and put her elbows on her knees –her head in her hands– and tried to control her breathing. It felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest and she gulped down another lungful of air while McGonagall patted her arm worriedly. Bagman shook his head in sympathy when he spotted the state she was in.

The crowd loudly shuffled in followed by the true champions and quite a few professors. Cheers rose loudly in the thick misty cold morning, creating an ethereal atmosphere for such a daunting task. With each thud of footsteps, bile lurched into her throat and she choked it back down.

_Grindylows. Mermaids. Three hostages._  Mary recited to herself.  _Grindylows. Mermaids. Three hostages._

Mary lifted her head, taking a peek at the gathering crowd. Hermione and Ron waved at her from the tallest balcony. She let out a breath. Sirius and Remus were to their right. They hadn't arrived in time to speak with her, but she knew they were wishing her the best. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, blocking out the noise with Remus' helpful charm. Who was missing?

Ludo Bagman began to speak and Mary focused on him, cancelling the noise reduction spell. "It is time for the Second Task to begin. The three Champions have spent months working on the clue gained from the First Task. Today is their test in cunning and skill. Champions, best of luck. At the sound of the cannon, you have one hour to return with you treasure."

Fleur pulled off her cloak and stood at the edge of the platform in a simple one piece silver swimsuit and waited for the judges to announce their start. Mary shot her a thumbs up and mentally wished the blonde girl luck and turned to smile at Viktor who looked almost as nervous as she felt.

Mary pulled the wad of gillyweed from her pocket and swallowed it, then shrugged off her warm cloak. She thanked all things Muggle for the dark red wet suit that she wore and hoped it would help her be far more flexible in the water. A frigid gust of wind blew in from the east, making her teeth chatter and her bones ache. She looked back at her cloak with longing, but there wasn't time.

Bagman blew his whistle. Viktor and Fleur jumped into the lake. Mary stood there, heart pounding in her throat, eyes watering with the bite of cold air.

Mary took in a deep breath then dived deeply into the murky water until she felt the gillyweed kick in. A horrible choking feeling overtook her and she gasped pulling a lungful of water into her gills. Once. Twice. She opened her mouth and breathed in, acclimating herself to the new sensation. Meanwhile, she observed the watery world around her and examined it carefully, descending further into the dark lake. She hoped that she would be fast enough to get to her hostage in time and wondered who they had picked for her. Fred, George, Katie, Alicia… The list was longer than she wanted. So many people who could be used against her. None of them would come to harm, not if she could help it.

Despite her apprehension, it was eerily peaceful, with the way the water tugged at her with each forward motion, and how all that she could hear was the whooshing of her webbed hands and feet as they propelled her quickly downward.

Until she heard the song. The low mournful tune hummed in her ears the closer she came to the lake-bed and Mary's heart soared, knowing that she was close to the place she was suppose to be. The mermish village came into view, unworldly and beautiful in it's own way. In the distance she spotted the mermaids swimming in slow lazy circles, darting to and fro as though searching for something.

A low shriek of fear sounded from somewhere to her right and Mary turned to see a school of grindylows pulling a struggling Fleur towards the muddy floor. The blonde girl was shrieking as loud as she could flailing and panicking as she was pulled into the thick crop of seaweed. With a kick of her fins, Mary sped after them, shooting non-verbal spells as fast as she could to keep up with the onslaught of tiny sadistic creatures. They came from every direction, hundreds of them, sharp clawed hands scratching, tearing, tiny teeth biting everywhere they could reach.

" _Bombarda!"_ Mary pointed her wand at the lake bed, shielding her eyes as the concussion bomb rumbled through the area, creating a murky cloud that hindered her sight. Going on instinct alone, Mary dove further down, hands grasping at nothing, until suddenly she was being dragged around. A loud shriek erupted next to her left and she was face to face with a very angry and scared Fleur. Mary gripped the girls shoulders, pulling her upward and out of the mess now that the grindylows had mostly scattered.

_'Stupefy!'_  Mary thought as she pointed her wand at the spindly hand that reached for Fleur's ankle.

The grindylow drifted away limply and Mary grabbed Fleur's outstretched hand, hauling her back towards the mermish colony where the hostages were being kept. A sharp pain hit her leg and Mary bit down a scream. Looking down she saw a small trident sunk deep into the tissue of her thigh.

" _Diffindo!_ " Mary cast the severing charm, cutting the trident off to where only a small part of the handle remained.

There wasn't time to do much else. Her leg was beginning to go numb. Fleur held tighter to her when a rather irate looking mermaid came into view, pointing to the large murky dome where they'd just been. Fleur clutched her arm tighter, fear in her eyes. Mary gritted her teeth and shook her head as she kept swimming, ignoring the mermaid completely. Together they finally made it into the center of the mermish village.

Despite the delay, they were the first ones there. The three hostages floated in place, looking pale and limp, which seemed to scare Fleur. The girl let go of Mary's hand and swam quickly to her little sister, casting a spell that split the rope.

The moment the bond broke, Gabriella began floating towards the surface and Fleur looked back at Mary guiltily. Mary waved her on and stayed swimming in place beside little Colin Creevey, trying her best not to agitate the trident's spines that seemed to hit the nerves of her thigh at the worst moments.

Thoughts swam through her head like the many fish in the Black Lake. Why hadn't her friends warned Colin to stay out of sight? Why hadn't they taken him into the Room of Requirement with them? She'd begged Ron and Hermione the night before to take almost all of Gryffindor house there. She'd told them what she 'suspected'. That one of them would be the thing that she'd miss most. Warned them to stay hidden. Maybe that was the reason why McGonagall seemed none too happy when she'd found her in the prefects bathroom that morning, dressed and ready for the task while staring up at the stained glass image of the mermaid.

Out of all the people they could have picked, why him? Why make it the one kid that she would contemplate leaving there? Okay, maybe she wouldn't leave him floating on the bottom of the Black Lake forever, but maybe just a few days so she could walk ten feet without being blinded by his damnable camera. Where was it anyway? Mary looked around, wondering how they'd pried it out of the boy's hands.

_I should get to the surface to get a better score._  Mary thought, pulling the knife from her belt and holding it tightly in her right hand. The mermaids were still circling in an angry manner, and Mary just knew she'd have to be back down here to apologize at some point for disturbing their habitat.

With a burst of speed, Viktor swam up next her, his head still half transfigured into that of a shark, and peered at her with dark beady eyes. She pointed to where Elena was tied and pushed his shoulders until he passed. Together they pulled the two hostages toward the surface.

It was over, and she had no time left to think about it. Fleur was weak from her battle with the Grindylows and struggling to get herself and Gabriella to shore. Colin was sputtering and confused, gasping as soon as his head broke the surface. Viktor was just ahead of them, Elena was pulling away from him, her eyes wide and fearful, seeing nothing but a shark's head attached to a body.

"Take her!" Mary called to Colin, watching as her housemate grabbed Elena and guided her towards the shore.

Mary turned around, pulling Gabriella onto her back, letting Fleur grab hold of her shoulder as she slowly made her way to the bank. The second her feet touched the sandy lakebed, Mary let out a sigh of relief, hoisting Gabriella off her back and putting an arm around her to keep her head above water. Fleur heaved in short choking breaths, moving closer to her side. Mary's right leg was completely numb, making it difficult to hop onto the shore.

The water was only ankle deep when a group of people rushed towards them, Madam Pomfrey at the front of the frey. The matron's voice sounded like it was in a bucket, trapped beneath white noise.

"Don't-"

Mary wrapped her hand around the hilt of the trident and yanked. It popped out of her leg with a sick squelching suction cup like sound.

"-pull it out, you stupid, stupid, girl." Madam Pomfrey was suddenly in her face, wrapping a blanket around her, calling out orders for the rest to get warm towels and be taken back to the tent.

"Okay, yeah, that hurt." Lights danced in front of her eyes, a kaleidoscope of colors left in their wake. Mary simply closed them, letting herself be placed on the gurney and hauled into the tent while her mind drifted in and out of the present.

She felt nothing but dizzy. Sort of happy too. The thick haze settled in her mind and didn't appear to make any effort to leave.

"I have to cut your suit." Madam Pomfrey dragged her wand along the seam from Mary's ankle up to just above her injury.

Mary looked down at the three ragged holes now adorning her leg with a sigh. "That's gonna scar, isn't it?"

Pomfrey raised her eyes to Mary's, a hard glint in them that showed her ire. "Not if I can help it."

"Miss Bell," Aunt Andy was in Healer mode, and Mary turned her head to watch. "Take Mr. Creevey and young Miss Delacour out of here, they're fine and I'm sure they would prefer to change."

Katie turned and shot Mary a sympathetic glance before ushering the two children out of the tent. The curtain was pulled back and Aunt Andy smiled tightly, turning back to Fleur, handing her a vial.

"Pepper-Up first." Healer Tonks handed her another vial. "Nothing appears corrupted, so I will heal the larger bites and scratches. Professor Snape has made an adequate healing paste that should take care of the rest."

"Merci," Fleur replied, then turned to Mary. "Not so bad, no?"

"I've had worse." Mary grimaced as Madam Pomfrey prodded at the sore spot again. "Can I get some of that Pepper-Up?"

"No." The bane of her existence stuck his big nose around the corner.

"Come on!" Mary whined, realizing she sounded far too petulant. "All I need is a blood-replenisher and a dose of Skele-gro. Then I'm fine and dancy. Dampy. Or is it-"

Snape tossed the remnants of the trident onto the small tray. "Pepper-Up would only exacerbate the mind numbing effects of the poison you've been subjected to."

"Poison?!" McGonagall's shrill voice almost snapped her out of her daze. "Headmaster, you promised that we had the Chieftainess' full cooperation in this task!"

"It was an unfortunate occurrence," Professor Dumbledore replied, moving around the curtained off area until he was in view. "One that is understandable given the situation. Mary had no way of knowing that she would be obliterating one of their farming sites."

"Effing great." Mary drowsily put a hand over her face. "Just what I need, more enemies."

"No more than you deserve after you've jumped into another half-cocked plan." Snape shoved a vial of steaming blue liquid into her face. "Drink it all. Quickly."

Mary accepted the vial and chugged the foul tasting antidote without hesitation, leaning back against the pillows and wishing she could have some water to chase it with.

"This feels weird." She squirmed as the pins and needles sensation traveled from the tips of her toes to halfway up her back. "I don't like it."

"Good." Snape's satisfied eyes met hers. "You'll like it less when you get to brew it in your next detention."

"No, really," Mary begged, leaning forward to rub at her burning ankles. "When will it end?"

"Momentarily." Snape's dark eyes continued watching her, waiting. "I do believe you would prefer to suffer through, as that particular poison will rot your flesh and render you incapable of thought within a day's time." Snape smirked. "Not that you're rational at the best of times."

Mary looked away, gripping the edge of the thin mattress until the horrible burning feeling faded into a faint warmth that settled on her injured leg before vanishing completely.

"That's better." Mary let out a breath.

"Now this." Snape handed her a small glass of clear liquid that had a very familiar scent.

"Do I have to?" Mary grimaced.

"What eez it?" Fleur frowned, glaring at Snape like he was a slug.

"Skele-gro." Madam Pomfrey answered, giving Mary a stern stare.

"We'll be taking her up to the Tower to recuperate." Sirius stepped in, turning toward Andy. "As her Healer, you have no issue with that, do you?"

Aunt Andy and Madam Pomfrey looked as though they were communicating telepathically. It must have been some kind of super Healer power that they had, because in tandem they turned to Sirius and nodded, before Aunt Andy went to assist Fleur while Madam Pomfrey moved toward Mary with a pair of conjured crutches in one hand and a tray in the other.

"Here you are. Skele-gro and Pepper-Up." Madam Pomfrey handed her two tiny vials and a tub of healing paste. "Drink all of the Skele-gro now, then one sip of the other as needed. And after you've showered make sure to apply the paste generously. Well, you should know the drill by now."

Mary chugged the Skele-gro, then took a sip of the Pepper-Up, feeling the steam rise. The fog in her brain dissipated. Her lingering tiredness evaporated just as quickly. She felt good. Really good. Other than the lingering ache in her leg, it was the best she felt all day.

"I'll expect you back tomorrow to check on that leg." Madam Pomfrey ordered, repairing her wetsuit and wrapping a fresh warm blanket around her shoulders.

"She'll need to keep all weight off that leg for at least four hours." Aunt Andy added.

"Food might make her nauseous, so best to keep to a clear liquid diet." Madam Pomfrey moved forward, fussing with the blanket around Mary's shoulders. "Both girls need at least a full night's sleep. And Miss Delacour's bandages should be redressed first thing in the morning."

"I think we can handle it." Remus moved forward, placing a gentle hand on Mary's arm. "Come along now, Mary Jane."

Mary scooted to the edge of the bed, grabbed the conjured crutches and hopped alongside her godfathers. Fleur hovered at her left side, ready to lend a hand, but came to a halt when the walked out of the tent and were suddenly accosted with the bright flash of cameras.

Fleur let out a small squeak of shock, trying to shield herself from view. Mary hobbled in front of her, trying to block her with her blanket. Sirius and Remus didn't need any prompting. Neither did Madam Maxime. It was the tall Headmistress that had the paparazzi fleeing the scene like roaches in the light. They weren't the only ones waiting though. Fleur was nearly knocked off balance by her little sister, who darted into her arms, crying and babbling in French. Ron, Hermione, and Luna were next. All three were congratulating her, though Luna acted like Mary had done something as remarkable as yawning.

"You've tied with Viktor!" Hermione pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "First place!"

"Knew all that extra training would come in handy." Ron stood back with a beaming smile. "Told you, didn't I? These foreign schools have nothing on Hogwarts."

"You have new earrings," Luna said, leaning forward to touch one of the black dragon claws. "They've brought you good fortune."

Mary looked down at her crutches, feeling achy and jittery. If this was good fortune, she didn't know how she would survive the next few years.

"Best get back to the castle so you can get off that leg." Sirius moved closer to her side. "The twins have a small celebration planned for later if you feel up to it."

A small celebration it was not. The Room of Requirement was packed full of people. It was dark, loud, and the deep reverberating beat of music felt as though it shaking the castle itself. Mary stood behind the DJ table a few hours later and smiled at the way her classmates walked in, looking both awestruck and confused, before going to either get drinks or went straight to dancing.

Fluorescent lights moved across the room in typical rave fashion, matching the rhythm of the music as people danced. Mary sat happily in her own secluded spot, knowing that no one would recognize her unless they got close enough.

"Go away!" Fleur's raised voice sounded as the song changed. "I said I do not want to dance with you!"

Roger grabbed Fleur's arm and Mary could see the lustful look in his eyes. Without hesitation, she jumped up, crutches in hand, lumbering through the crowd, ready to pummel the Ravenclaw. Fleur was faster though, waving her wand and sending a light blue spell that sizzled out, knocking Roger back a few feet. He landed in a heap beside the dancing platform and glared up at her in obvious confusion.

"Get out." Mary growled at him, pulling him up by the arm and bodily dragging him out of the Room of Requirement. "You're no longer welcome."

* * *

Bill stood next to the bar, taking another swig of his Butterbeer. Parties at Hogwarts had certainly changed in the past few years. The last one he'd attended had been the night before his graduation. McGonagall had came in and warned them not to stay up too late and not to cause a ruckus. They'd stayed up all night and trashed the common room. But that had only been Gryffindor seventh years. This was a whole different monster. Four houses, two visiting schools, over a hundred kids in one massive room. What could go wrong?

That was until Mary happened. Going completely against Pomfrey's orders. Pulling him out of the chaperone mode that Sirius and Remus had assigned him with, and now he was having to stare down some stupid twit who thought he could grope and go.

Mary slammed the door shut, shuffling toward him. "You mind telling Fred and George that he's not allowed back in?"

"Sure," Bill replied, looking to where his brothers were talking to a pair of witches. "You need any help?"

Mary looked over her shoulder, towards the blonde French Champion from Beauxbatons. "Actually, Fleur might need a more mature dance partner. It's been a long day and we all need to let off some steam, but Davies was really taking advantage."

"I'll see what I can do." Bill shrugged, taking the last gulp of his Firewhiskey and moving onto the dancefloor.

Surprisingly, Mary got there first, a hand on the blonde girl's arm. "Fleur, this is Bill, my brother from another mother. Bill, Fleur."

"A pleasure, I'm sure." Fleur sneered up at him.

Bill steadily met her gaze, unwilling to let her standoffish attitude detour him. At Fleur's side, Mary watched them, a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite place, as though she was waiting for something to happen. Women, he didn't think he'd ever figure them out.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay in this and the fact that it's not beta-d.
> 
> Next chapter Mary meets a legendary character and has an awkward encounter.
> 
> Question time: Please name one person you think Mary should tell that she has knowledge of the future.
> 
> We're on the edge of Mary changing the timeline, so things are about to get crazy.
> 
> Also, I've started a facebook account where I'll be posting snippets of upcoming chapters and updates about my progress. You can find me there as Silver Starwolfe or on Twitter as RebSilverthorne.


	32. Fantastic Beasts

**May 27th, 1995**

"She's not him, Albus," the portrait of Armando Dippet repeated.

The memories swirling in the Pensieve told a different story. One of a girl who held secret meetings with a select few peers. Who wandered the castle alone in the late hours of the night. A girl who held no remorse when told she'd ended the life of a professor, that another professor had been permanently brain damaged, or that she had killed numerous magical creatures in her latest stunt at the bottom of the Black Lake. Mary Potter had only lifted her chin, eyes cold and blank, leaving his office as though she feared no retribution.

This was all his fault. All his doing. He'd played his hand and lost. Ten years of planning, expecting the girl to come to the school and cherish the safety and her newfound friends. Every move was made to set her on the path for her final battle. But over the past two years since the incident in the Chamber of Secrets, all of his plans had slipped through his fingers. Her respect for him had declined to the point that she no longer came to him for advice. If anything she avoided him at all cost. And when she did, she was clipped and guarded, using Occlumency to block him out.

It reminded him far too much of young Tom with his way of pulling people to his side. Of Bellatrix Black's disregard for life, of Severus' coldness. Concern for nothing and no one other than themselves and their own goals. Mary was no longer hiding her forays into the darker side of magic. The girl occluded around the clock. While eating dinner, during class, even when flying. Numerous times he'd tried to get a sense of her thoughts only to be misdirected into the most mundane displays of teenage life.

Another swirl of his wand and he went back to the memory of Mary's map. Why was the girl keeping such a close eye on Voldemort and his followers? Surely she trusted that he and those in charge of her care would keep her safe? Or was there a more sinister reasoning for the girl's sudden fascination with both the Dark Arts and Lord Voldemort? Was that the answer? Had young Mary absorbed some part of Tom Riddle's disposition as a baby?

 _Tom._ It scared him to learn that Sirius and Remus had spoken to Horace about his former student. What had they learned? He needed to obtain Horace's memory and perhaps divest the man of them completely if he was going to keep his theory a secret. Things were not yet in place for his plans to be discovered. No one could find out, not until he had all of the information he needed. One thing was for sure, Tom had certainly made more than one. His recent conversation with Hepzibah's house elf revealed as much. Hufflepuff's cup disappeared from the woman's collection before her death. It wasn't among her possessions, nor was it in her will, though she was the last one known to possess the artifact. Tom always kept trophies. Had the cup joined the diary as another tie holding him to the mortal plain?

He was missing something. Some larger piece of this puzzle.

The chime rang echoed quietly, the crystal hippogriff on his desk letting out a puff of steam, while the mirror on the wall in front of him showed those waiting on the other side of the door. A Headmaster's work was never done. It was the third face that had popped into view and caught him slightly off guard. The muggle phrase, _speak of the devil_ , came to mind.

A wave of his wand sent the Pensieve back into its cabinet and the research on Tom's Horcrux back into the bottom drawer of his desk.  _There must be more than one_ , he thought again, casting the spell to open the door and meet his guests.

* * *

The sun beat down on Mary's back. A sheen of sweat covered her forehead and made her hair stick to it while she jogged along the path to Hogsmeade. Breathless, she slowed down when the young boy came into view. He couldn't have been older than nine. His cheeks were flushed, and she could tell he'd struggled under the weight of the large crate at his feet.

"Lo'!" he called out in greeting.

"Hiya!" Mary said with a smile. "It all here?"

"Mrs. Woodcroft sends her best." The boy lifted the crate with a grunt. "Said to thank ya for the large order."

"She's done me a massive favor by getting it all so soon. You work for her, yeah?"

"Only on the weekends." He shrugged his shoulders.

Mary reached into her pocket and pulled out a few coins. "Go get yourself a Butterbeer and thank Mrs. Woodcroft for me, will you?"

The boys eyes widened at the sight of silver and he nodded, his cheeks flushing redder as he reached into his own pocket. "Can I… uh?"

Mary held back a grimace, seeing the familiar piece of parchment. There, on the front page of the Daily Prophet for all the world to see, was a looping scene of her pulling the small trident from her thigh and tossing it on the shore.  ** _MARY POTTER TIES FOR FIRST PLACE IN TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT_ , **the title read. It should have been:  _ **MARY POTTER, MAGICAL MORON: VOLUME 147**._

Mary accepted the quill and scribbled her name beneath the magical photo. If she never saw that picture again it'd be too soon.

"Have a good one!" she said, handing the newspaper back to him and lifting up the crate.

"I can carry it for ya!" the boy protested, clutching the paper to his chest.

"Go get that Butterbeer. I've got this."

Without another word, she turned around and went back to the castle. A longing for winter began to tug at her as sweat dripped down her neck and soaked into the collar of her shirt. Where was the crisp, biting air when she needed it?

The halls and paths were empty. Most everyone stayed in their common rooms, studying for the upcoming exams. Even the first and second years made scarce appearances out of their dorms, unwilling to get in the way of the tetchy upper years.

Hermione had nearly pitched a fit when Mary said she would be skipping out on their revisions. "Just because you're exempt from exams, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to learn the material. You'll still need to know this next year."

This was something she had to do though; that's what no one understood. She needed to make it right. Her poor choice in defensive spells had decimated an entire crop of seagrass that the merpeople required before the upcoming winter. If she had to go back down there and plant it herself, she would do so. That same resolve had her standing in front of the spiraling staircase, the crate at her feet, spouting off different names of sweets.

"Jelly Slugs?" she tried to no avail.

"Nerds," a voice said from behind her.

"Pardon?"

Mary turned to see a man with white hair, leaning on a cane. To his right was a younger man around Bill's age. Dark hair reached his chin, and he had the same light blue eyes as the man next to him.

The low groaning sound of the spiral staircase stopped her from responding.  _Why was the password a Muggle sweet?_

Dumbledore stood in the doorway. "Perfect timing, Newt. As always. And Mary, this is a surprise."

"I'm sorry, sir." Mary looked at the floor. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I need your help."

Fawkes flew from his perch, landing lightly on the newcomer's shoulder, rubbing his head against Newt's cheek.

"Should we leave, Headmaster?" Newt asked, causing Mary to look from him to Dumbledore.

"Oh, please don't. I can come back another time, sir." Mary picked up the crate, ready to back out of the room. "I was just wanting to take this to the merpeople's colony and hoped you wouldn't mind translating my apologies. It can wait."

A bemused smile graced Dumbledore's face. "Luck it seems is on your side. Newt here is far more fluent in mermish than I could ever hope to be, and we planned on walking near the lake. Would you care to join us?"

"Newt Scamander." Newt held a weathered hand out to her.

"Mary Potter," Mary almost stuttered, staring up at him.

"Are you really?" Newt placed his other hand over their clasped ones, his pale eyes meeting hers with nothing but curiosity, before he finally turned to acknowledge the young man with him. "Forgive me. This is my grandson, Rolf."

Mary shook his hand as well. "Nice to meet you."

It wasn't easy to admit that she felt a little starstruck. Newt Scamander's textbooks were favorites of Hagrid's, and Mary enjoyed reading about the different obscure magical creatures that Mr. Scamander studied.

"I apologize for forgoing introductions," Dumbledore said. "I presumed you'd taken care of that in the hall. Alas, the follies of old age."

"Don't start on that one." Newt laughed. "I'm trailing not far behind in years, Albus."

"Shall we?" Dumbledore gestured for the door.

Mary listened with rapt attention as the two older man talked about their recent adventures. For Newt it'd been getting a new Kneazle kitten; for Dumbledore it'd been Fawkes' most recent burning day. And while their conversations focused on light and mundane subjects, Mary couldn't help but notice the way Mr. Scamander would clench his fist back and forth, or the way Dumbledore redirected the conversation each time Newt tried to talk about the Tournament.

"Let me help with that," Rolf offered, lifting the other end of the crate.

"Thanks!" Mary smiled back. "First time at Hogwarts?"

"Oh no," Rolf said. "I was in Hufflepuff. Same as my grandfather."

He had an American accent that was tinted with a slight British lilt. Given the fact that his grandfather was as British as they came, it made her eager to learn about all the exotic places he'd lived. Had he lived a normal life? Or were they constantly travelling to see new and exciting animals? It felt too personal to ask.

"Are you a magizoologist as well?" she asked instead.

"Yeah." Rolf let out a small laugh. "Fourth generation. Have to live up to the family name. Not an easy task, you know?"

Mary's smile froze. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry!" Rolf spluttered. "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine."

Sirius had lightly touched on her family history. Taught her things about the Potters and Evans families that not even Harry knew. Her grandfather, Fleamont, had been a world class Potioneer, and her father had been a member of the Order and basically done an Auror's job without pay during the war. Her mother had done the same, though on her side of the family they were Muggles. Normal lives and occupations. Past that, she had little knowledge of them. She was and would forever be the last Potter.

Rolf looked up at the sky. "Nice weather."

"What are you talking about? I'm burning up here." Mary cast a cooling charm on herself. "What year did you graduate?"

"Ninety-one."

"That was right before I started! You have to know Tonks then, as a Hufflepuff."

"Nymphadora?"

"She lets you call her that?"

"Uh no, and please don't tell her I did. But yeah, we got on pretty well. How's she doing these days?"

"Just qualified as a full Auror."

"Sounds like her." Rolf's face reddened. "She still hanging out with Weasley?"

"Bill or Charlie?"

"Charlie. You know them too?"

"Their youngest brother is my best mate."

The sound of high pitched screeches pulled her attention to Newt and Dumbledore, who both sat next to the lake. All of the sudden, a pair of pale blue heads popped out of the water. Mary recognized the merman that had skewered her thigh and grimaced. His bulbous eyes narrowed, and he moved closer to the crowned mermaid next to him.

Mary walked to the shoreline and knelt beside Dumbledore. "What are they saying?"

"They want to know why you are here," Newt translated, eyes narrowed as he continued to listen to the guard's rant.

Mary scrambled to her feet, hoisted the crate into her arms, and lugged it over to the water's edge. "A gift, if they'll accept it. And my sincere apologies for ruining their beautiful crop."

Newt translated for her, the high shrieking sound making Mary wince due to her over-sensitive hearing. The Chieftainess looked from Mary to the crate with a shrewd stare. Her guard, on the other hand, looked like he'd rather flop onto the shore and die than accept anything from her.

"May I?" Newt's gaze met Mary's, and she nodded, helping him pull the lid off the crate.

He looked through the contents, speaking in mermish as he plucked up the numerous bulbs and pods, inspecting them before handing them over to the guard. The Chieftainess let out a gasp, taking a bulb and holding it reverently in her blue hands.

"Sixty years ago a fungus wiped out the majority of eelgrass here in the northern UK. The Chieftainess is quite thrilled with the possibility of getting it back into their ecosystem and diet," Newt explained.

"Neville and Mrs. Woodcroft helped me choose," Mary said, backing away when the merman glared at her.

Dumbledore shot her a shrewd glance that Mary quickly looked away from, letting the two older men finish up their conversation with the merpeople. What was Dumbledore's problem anyway?

"That went better than I thought it would," Mary said, walking beside Rolf as they went back to the castle.

"The Chieftainess banned you from ever going in the Lake! How is that good?"

"I'd rather not go back down there, if I'm being honest. They're well within their rights to be angry."

Something large and grey bounded toward them. Fast. Mary braced herself for the impact, but the huge dog just skidded to a halt, rolling over on his back.

Mary bent down and scratched Fang's belly and behind his ears. "What are you doing out here without Hagrid?"

Fang stood and shook off, puddles of drool dripping onto the stone path, then let out a booming bark, moving forward to nudge at her cloak pocket with his nose.

"That's just Bacon." Mary laughed.

Rolf shot her a confused look, probably thinking that she wandered around with food in her pocket, until Mary pulled out the guinea pig. "Your familiar?"

"Stolen Transfiguration project."

"I see."

Mary scratched Fang's back, looking up at the three men. "I guess I'm meant to follow."

They said their goodbyes, and Mary followed Fang down the stone path until they reached Hagrid's hut.

"Was beginnin' to think he got lost." Hagrid moved around the side of the building. "What brings yeh out this way?"

Mary looked down at Fang. "I thought I was being summoned."

Hagrid let out a booming laugh and patted Mary on the back, nearly knocking her over. "Guess I'll just have ter put yeh to work!"

Mary spent the rest of the evening mucking out the Abraxans' stable. Not something she would normally volunteer for, but the hard work made for good exercise. When she was more than tired and filthy, she trudged her way back into Gryffindor Tower. Thankfully no one was around to stop her before she fell head first onto her bed, letting sleep take over.

Pain engulfed her body, pouring through every nerve and limb. Blinding white lights accosted her vision. Then, suddenly, there was warmth, and the sensation of soft fabric on her skin.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I shouldn't have taken so long to return to you."

"I am hungry," the raspy high voice escaped her lips.

"I'll milk Nagini at once, my lord." The dark haired man bowed and moved out of sight.

She rolled over, a pile of cold dead flesh lay next to her, and she curled up next to it, the scent of decay and rot invading her nostrils.

Mary woke up in a panic, bending over the side of her bed and vomiting what little contents she had left in her stomach. Her head throbbed like mad, the scar burned like hell fire. The smell of fresh meat still lingered in her nose.

"Mary?" Hermione moved closer, the torch behind her blazing to life. "Are... are you okay?"

 _"Evanesco. "_  Mary cast, vanishing the mess she'd made, then added a cleaning charm on top of that. "I'm fine, just a bad dream is all."

"It's time for dinner."

Mary stood, tugging her warmest cloak around her shoulders despite the late spring warmth. "Think I'll go talk to Sirius and Remus."

Hermione pulled Mary into a hug that she didn't deserve. "I'm here for you too, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," said Mary. "I know."

Hermione wasn't convinced. After they were both dressed and ready, she walked Mary down to the guest quarters where Sirius, Remus, and Bill were staying. No words were spoken, but Mary could feel her friend's eyes on her back, the frequent sighs that Hermione let out, it made her teeth ache as she clenched her jaw from snapping at her. How hard was it to just leave her be?

The door opened. Sirius stood there, a beaming smile on his face that died when his eyes met hers. His gaze shifted to her right. "Hermione?"

"A bad dream, I think."

Mary cracked her neck, then pushed past Sirius to curl up in the chair next to the fire. Calm. Calm. Calm. The flames danced in the fireplace, and Mary lost herself in the orange glow, blocking out anything and everything until she felt more like herself. Until the horrible images had been burned out of her mind.

Mary sat up, her head pounding, and pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders, hugging it to herself. Sirius and Remus were talking quietly across the room.

Bill, seeing that she was once among the living, pulled her to his side, lips against her hair. "What do you need, MJ?"

Mary lifted her left hand and waited until a cup flew into her grip. "Water."

Bill waved his wand, and the small mug filled to the brim. Mary sipped it slowly, trying not to upset her already rumbling stomach. "How's the research going?"

Bill put his arm around her shoulders and took the empty cup. "It's a curse for sure, powerful one too. Don't know how he accomplished it, given there are no signs of magical residue, but it's here to stay until we can find a counter."

"Figured as much." Mary closed her eyes, thoughts swimming around her head. If she could kill him, the curse would end and their problem would be over.

Remus shook her shoulder, holding a vial of blue liquid in front of her face. "Drink it all."

Mary accepted the vial and sniffed it. Pain reliever. They did little to help these days, with as many as she was taking just to function, but she swallowed it in one gulp, feeling the pounding in her head recede to a slow throb.

_"Expellia- "_

_"Protego! "_  Mary countered Sirius' spell, her hand shaking as she watched his wand fly across the room. "What the hell?!"

"Just making sure you're on your toes." Sirius dug his wand out from under the chesterfield and brushed a piece of lint from his sleeve. "This close to the the Third Task you need to be ready for anything and everything."

"I've got one Moody to deal with, thank you very much." Mary stood, picking up her back pack, and walked into the loo.

The door closed behind her with a soft click. Mary leaned against it, sliding down until she hit the floor. Digging into her bag, she found the last two red pills Fred and George had given her at the Yule Ball, popping them into her mouth and swallowing. What could it hurt?

The small tin landed in her bag with a clink, and Mary looked down into it, hoping she hadn't broken anything important. A small vial sat there filled with a light blue liquid. It was a shield potion that most people applied to windows or mirrors to deflect anything that touched them. All you had to do was apply it to the outer rim of the window, and it would keep it safe and clean for up to a month. Even rain bounced right off.

The commode sat in front of her, the idea blossoming into the best plan of revenge. Mary smirked and knelt down in front of the toilet.

An hour later, she was sitting next to Remus, helping him organize his research papers on taboos and curses when a different kind of curse rang through the air.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius shrieked from inside the loo.

Mary's face twitched in an effort to keep from laughing. Remus closed his eyes and sighed.

"I've got piss splattered everywhere!"

"Time to head back to the tower!" Mary jumped up and grabbed her bag. "Give Paddy my best. Love you lot."

"Love you too, Mary Jane." Remus shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Tell Ron and Ginny to stop by more." Bill pulled her into a quick hug. "And you take care of yourself."

Mary patted his shoulder. "Will do. Night, Mr. Weasley."

"Effing kids."

Bill swung out to ruffle her hair, but Mary darted out of the way and exited the room before he could touch her.

* * *

**June 23rd, 1995**

"Boggarts." Hermione said, sitting on the chesterfield across from Mary, a large tome opened in her lap.

 _"Riddikulus,"_  Mary answered, mindlessly waving her wand.

"Dementors," Neville said.

 _"Expecto Patronum."_  Mary conjured her patronus, feeling bored.

"Stunning Spell," Ron offered.

 _"Protego."_  Mary went through the motions of casting the spell, her shield nearly knocking over the side table.

On and on it went, sitting there in Sirius and Remus' quarters while her friends and family drilled her on her knowledge of spells. Mary only had one goal in mind and that was to stay away from the bloody Triwizard Cup.

"You won't just need knowledge of spells." Remus sat down, his favorite teacup in hand. "What will you do if you encounter a Kappa?"

"Throw something at its feet and make it look down."

"An Erkling?"

"Er, I don't know, bash its brains in?"

Remus shot her a perturbed look. "Maybe something not so violent. Just keep your wits and senses about you."

Mary knew exactly what he meant. While the cuff had kept her from contracting Lycanthropy, it'd given her a heightened sense of smell, hearing, and sight. It was a curse on most days when she was surrounded by hundreds of loud teenagers, some of which used cleaning charms instead of actually bathing. During the Third Task though, it gave her an edge.

"I'm done with this." Mary closed the copy of Standard Book of Spells: Grade Seven.

"It's nearly curfew." Hermione stood up and straightened her robes.

"You're all staying here for the night." Sirius walked into the room, a tray of steaming mugs floating in front of him. "Thought we could all camp out around the fire."

"Professor McGonagall is okay with this?" Hermione stuck her nose in the air, rightfully not trusting Sirius at his word.

Sirius leaned back against the couch and laughed. "It was Minnie's idea! Not that I wouldn't have come up with it myself, but the old bird has a knack of knowing what I have planned and either curtailing or approving it."

Hermione looked none too pleased with Sirius' tone when regarding Hermione's favorite professor, so Mary felt it necessary to step in.

"Don't think I'm going to sleep much tonight, so company will be nice." Mary grabbed a mug, looking at the amber colored liquid. "Butterbeer?"

"Cognac." Sirius smirked.

"Sirius!" Remus shot to his feet, pulling the tray away from Ron.

Mary took a sip and coughed. "Ugh, that's just horrid."

"Unrefined palates," Sirius grumbled. "It's mostly cider. Just thought the cognac would help us all get to sleep faster."

Remus took the mug from Mary and handed it to Bill. "A hangover will do no good in the morning, not for any of us."

"You're killing me here, Moony," Sirius whined. "It's not that much."

"Mary needs a clear head tomorrow," Remus argued.

"Mary just needs to relax with her family," Mary said, looking at the occupants of the room and waving her wand.

Her birthday present sat on the edge of the desk, the boombox roaring to life. A woman's voice echoed around them at an almost deafening volume. Mary grabbed Neville's hand and pulled him to his feet. Sirius, already a few drinks in, joined them in dancing and singing along.

Hours later, the three adults were near drunk and Mary was bouncing around the room, practicing her wandwork while Sirius and Remus told stories.

"So then Lily transfigured a stick to look and act exactly like a lightsaber and ran James through with it!" Remus wiped mirthful tears from his eyes. "He doubled over, gasping in shock, not knowing what was going on, but Lily pointed the glowing red blade between his eyes and told him that if he ever came sniffing around her experiments she'd use him as her next test subject!"

Sirius laughed as well, but Ron, Bill, and Neville looked a little confused.

"When was there a war in the stars?" Ron asked. "Muggles know how to get there?"

Mary stopped moving, her mouth dropping open in horror. "I'm the worst friend ever."

"Star Wars," Hermione said. "They're muggle films."

"You'll get to see them over the summer," Mary promised, then turned to her godfather. "Are you still getting the theatre room set up, Siri?"

"Done!" Sirius rubbed his hands together. "I went for a projector instead of a standard television, so be ready for a whole wall as a dedicated screen."

Well, that was excessive in Mary's opinion, but excessive was what Sirius did best.

"It's almost two." Hermione glared at Sirius, but the effect was killed when she yawned widely.

"You lot better not stay up too late." Sirius stood, transfiguring the two couches into a massive flat mattress. "Sleep well."

Mary grabbed blankets and pillows from the cupboard and tossed them onto the bed, then made herself a little spot on the edge.

"Get in the middle." Hermione tugged her arm. "Otherwise you'll be sneaking off instead of sleeping."

"I doubt I'll be sleeping as it is," Mary argued. "And I'd rather be able to get up quickly if I need to."

"Nightmares again?" Ron looked at Hermione.

"Almost every night."

"I'm right here." Mary let out a huff. "You don't have to act like I'm a toddler that can't speak for herself."

"Feeling okay, Mary?" Neville asked.

Mary shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Exactly what I mean." Ron smiled smugly. "Thanks, Nev."

"Get in." Hermione ordered her, pointing to the center of the mattress.

"Yes, Mistress." Mary bowed. "Mary Potter will be doing anything Mistress asks."

Ron groaned. "Don't get her started, Mary!"

Hermione crossed her arms. "It isn't right for you to mock the house elves."

"Sorry." Mary plopped down. "So, sleep, yes?"

"Sleep." Hermione yawned again.

"Night," they all echoed at the same time, then laughed.

—

Mary lay there, staring at the firelight dancing on the ceiling, the shapes twisting and turning like the thoughts running through her head.

Barty Jr. was always at Voldemort's side. Wormtail was in Azkaban. Sirius had even asked Tonks to double check. Moody was still Moody according to the map. Who else had she forgotten? Who else could be out there planning her demise? Rita was in Azkaban for at least another few months. Umbridge had less than a year on her sentence. Mary had the oddest feeling that she was missing something.

"You're still awake," Ron whispered.

"Could you sleep if you were in my shoes?"

"They'd probably make my feet hurt, so no."

"You're awake too."

"Sympathetic nerves."

"No sense in both of us being tired. Don't worry about me."

"Devil's Snare." Neville's voice drifted over from the other side of Ron.

"Huh?" Mary leaned up on her elbows so she could see him.

"How would you counter Devil's Snare in the Maze?" Neville asked.

"Light." Mary smiled, remembering their adventure to save the Philosopher's Stone.

"Bat Bogey Hex," Ron said.

"Don't piss off Ginny," Mary replied.

They stayed up talking for a few more hours before Ron and Neville finally drifted off to sleep. Surprisingly, Mary slept too, only to be woken moments later by someone frantically shaking her shoulder.

"We overslept!" Hermione shoved her again. "Breakfast is nearly over!"

Mary rubbed at her eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented. "Task isn't until tonight. Go back to sleep."

"She's right." Remus stepped into the room, shielding his eyes from the light pouring through the windows. "I promised Minerva that I'd have you all down for breakfast, so get moving."

Mary flopped back on the mattress and pulled the covers over her head. "I'm skiving off."

"I have a box of untested pranks and a sleeping Sirius that says you'll get up," Remus offered.

Mary pulled the cover away from her face. "You'll let me do the honors?"

"All yours." Remus held out the box.

"I've got a better idea." Mary crept into the room, quietly casting a few spells before pouring one of the potions into Sirius' water. "Wake up, Snuggly."

"Too loud," Sirius murmured.

"I'm freaking out here. Day of the Third Task and all that. At least get up and have breakfast with me?"

"Sure kid." Sirius leaned up and quaffed the glass of water. "I'll be out in a minute. Tell Moony to get a hangover cure ready."

"Okay." Mary smiled brightly and backed out of the room.

"I got Bill." Ron stood in the sitting room, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "He's gonna kill me."

Remus shook his head. "They won't figure it out for another twenty minutes."

That estimation was perfect. Mary had just finished her breakfast when Sirius let out a squeak from the Head Table. Bill to his left did the same. They both jumped up, running around the table down into the student dining area.

"Look at the Hobbitses!" Mary chuckled.

"He vill get you back for this." Viktor laughed, watching Sirius and Bill trying to reverse the charm.

"They look just like Frodo and Sam." Hermione giggled. "You even got the hairy feet."

"You are not worried about zee Task?" Fleur narrowed her eyes from across the table. "This will be the hardest one, no?"

"Mary's got this." Ron patted her hard on the back. "Nothing she can't handle."

Hours later she was standing between Viktor and Fleur. The stands were filled with students, parents, reporters, and teachers. Sirius and Remus were sitting next to Ron and Hermione, all of them waving and smiling at her. Tonks and Bill sat on either side of Rolf, while Newt sat next to Dumbledore. If Newt was there, then there had to be some dangerous creature waiting for them in the labyrinth.

Mary turned her focus back to Ludo Bagman who was going over the rules and announcements once more, but this time for the crowds benefit.

"Tied for first place, Mary Potter of Hogwarts and Viktor Krum of Durmstrang Institute will enter the Maze at the sound of my whistle!" Bagman called out. "In second place, Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons will wait five minutes before entering. First to touch the Triwizard Cup will be the winner! Champions are you ready?"

Both Fleur and Viktor nodded. Mary followed suit after a moment of hesitation.

Bagman blew the whistle, the sound ringing in Mary's ears as she raced toward the Maze, putting everything else out of her mind.

_I have to get the Cup. And then I'm going to destroy it._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> Shout out to all my loyal readers out there who have talked me off a ledge. Each and every review, favorite, and follow keeps me coming back to this story ready to write and post.
> 
> Much love to my wonderful alpha-editor, theaberrantwritergirl, for making this chapter pretty even though it'd been posted for a week. She's such an awesome person and writer. You can find her works here on Ao3 or on FFN.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask. I'll be posting contact information and updates to my profile page, so check it out if you're curious.


	33. The Third Task

"Ve should stay together." Viktor ran beside her. "Maybe vait for Fleur. Vill be easier to complete these tasks."

Mary gave his suggestion some thought. It would be easier. It was something she'd considered the night before. Go through everything together. Each of them escaping the maze as winners. But that wouldn't work. If the cup was a portkey, she would be taking them straight to Voldemort, putting their lives in danger, all in the off chance that she'd actually gotten things right and had changed the future for the better.

"I'm going my own way," Mary said. "You should do the same."

Viktor's eyes narrowed at her. "You do not vant to work as team?"

"Not this time, Viktor. I need to do this on my own."

"I see." Viktor's jaw clenched, and he nodded once. "Good luck."

"Be careful."

Viktor lifted his chin, then took off down the pathway to the right. Mary went to the left, running as fast as she could, going both by Harry's memories and her own instincts.

Her nose twitched. Something smelled off about him. "Viktor?"

" _Avad-"_

" _Stupefy!"_

Viktor slashed his wand through the air; a bright fizzling light shot out.

" _Protego!_ " Mary pulled her shield up just in time.

The spell bounced off, flying straight back at Viktor.

"No!" Mary ran forward, then froze, kneeling next to his twisted body.

Blank eyes stared back at her. She pulled his head into her lap, hands searching for an injury that couldn't be fixed.

No metallic scent. Viktor didn't smell like broom polish and shaving cream.

She scrambled backwards, and suddenly, his body twisted into the shape of Sirius, falling and disappearing into the Veil, then into Remus, lying on the ground, lifeless and pale.

" _Riddikulus!"_  Mary cast with a furious shout.

Remus' body vanished into a cloud of smoke that harmlessly drifted away.

The Boggart was gone. One challenge down.

Mary continued to run, not bothering to slow down, when she came to the fog that flipped her upside down and spat her back out in a different part of the maze.

The faint sound of a whistle blowing carried through the night. It was Fleur's turn to enter the labyrinth. Had it only been five minutes? It felt like she'd been in there for hours, running and running, hedges surrounding her, closing in and threatening to suffocate.

Mary skidded to a halt, the sphinx turning to her with a loud hiss of displeasure.

"Another one to test?" The sphinx sat on her haunches, lifting up a massive paw to clean it.

"Viktor's already been here?" Mary felt her heart in her throat. She was too slow. "Riddle, please? I'm in a hurry."

"Humans." The sphinx rolled her eyes. "Always in a hurry. So much work and they get nowhere."

"Is that the riddle?"

"No. Give me a moment. I'm trying to think."

The sphinx stood and shook off, loose fur flying out of her impressive mane. She began to circle Mary, sniffing her arm and hair. "Hmm, too young for that riddle. Are you ready?"

Mary looked at her watch and lifted a brow at the sphinx. "Sure."

"If you feed me, I live. If you give me a drink, I die. What am I?"

Mary's mind went blank. The word 'spider' was already on the tip of her tongue when she realized that the sphinx had asked her a totally different question. Time was running out. The question ran through her mind again and again. What could eat but not drink? Was the sphinx hungry?

Tendrils of smoke filtered through the hedges. A shrill scream ran out into the darkness.

"I gotta go!" Mary moved forward, but the sphinx stood in her path. "Get to safety!"

"Answer the riddle!" The sphinx puffed up her mane and let out roar.

Mary lurched backwards, seeing the orange flames move closer. "Fire!"

"Correct." The sphinx smiled, jumping back as her tail began to smoke. "Shit!"

" _Aguamenti!_ " Mary cast, sending a stream of water to put out the sphinx's tail. "Jump on top of the hedges and get to safety! Now!"

The sphinx didn't hesitate, leaping onto the top of the maze and darting away. Mary ran, going left then right, hoping that Harry's memories wouldn't fail her. The flames were growing taller, but she was putting a good bit of distance between it and herself. The smoke was beginning to clear. Still, her nose burned, and her eyes watered uncontrollably, making the path difficult to see.

_Scratch. Scratch. Scratch._

Mary slowed down, listening, the sound becoming louder as she got to the next fork in the path. Peeking around the corner, a very familiar creature stood in front of her.

"Peaches!" Mary breathed, stepping forward and bowing lowly.

The hippogriff bowed in return, letting Mary touch the soft feathers on her head. Mary's hand lowered and met cold metal. A thick chain was wrapped around Peaches' neck, giving her little room to do more than turn around.

"That won't do." Mary pointed her wand at the lock. " _Alohomora_."

The chain fell to the ground with a thump, and Peaches thanked her by nudging her in the ribs.

"I get it." Mary patted her neck. "Time to go. Go back to Hagrid, there's a fire out here and you don't need to get caught in it."

Peaches nudged her head under Mary's arm, nearly lifting her off the ground, then bent down.

"You're willing to give me a lift?" Mary climbed on her back. "We can't go off flying right now, so maybe just stick to the path?"

Peaches took off at a gallop, barely giving Mary time to hang on. The hippogriff darted through the labyrinth at high speed.

Mary looked back, seeing the smoke rising into the starry sky, but it was all the way on the opposite side of the maze. They were near the outer wall.

"Stop." Mary tugged lightly on Peaches' neck and slid off her back. "Fly over and get to Hagrid, okay, girl? Stay safe."

Peaches looked ready to protest, but a loud  _crack_  echoed around them, scaring her enough to obey. Mary felt a gust of wind as the large wings unfurled, and Peaches launched herself over the hedge. What kind of idiot didn't escape when they had the chance? Mary Potter was that kind of idiot. Instead of running away from danger, she charged right toward it, straight to the sound of huge stomping feet and spells being frantically cast.

Mary rounded the corner to see a massive beast reared up on its hind legs, huge T-Rex like feet ready to trample the wizard below it.

" _Accio Viktor_!" Mary cast, the spell nearly pulling her to him instead of vice versa.

Viktor shot her a grateful look, stumbling toward her. "It is angry!"

"You think?" Mary shouted over the sound of another cry from the Graphorn. "What'd you do to it?"

"Run!" Viktor grabbed her arm, pulling her down another path as the Graphorn gave chase. "Stunning spells did not work!"

"They repel spells, you dingbat!"

Mary felt her muscles aching, the bottom of her feet burning with each step. A stitch in her side. All threatening to double her over in pain.

"Here!" Viktor grabbed her arm and slung her into an alcove in the hedges that put them on a different path.

Mary put her back to the hedge, willing her heart to stop hammering and her breathing to even out. Graphorns had very sensitive hearing. They would be found with the way Viktor was heaving in air and pacing.

Mary shoved him against the hedge, her hand loosely placed over his mouth. "Shh!"

Blood rushed through her ears, but the sound was nothing next to the deafening commotion the Graphorn made as it stampeded down the path. Closer. Closer. It didn't slow down. The heavy footfalls were growing farther away until they were nothing but muffled thumps.

"It's gone." Mary pulled away from Viktor and bent down, hands on her knees, trying to control her breathing.

"I thought you vere far ahead. That you might have already von."

"If someone wins, I better be rescued at once. No point in being in this death trap otherwise."

Viktor let out a quiet laugh then sobered, looking back to Mary. "Do ve go different vays now?"

Mary considered this option once again. "Let's just get going."

"Tell me." Viktor glanced at her, matching her pace as they jogged down the path. "You do not act like yourself."

"I'm going to sound barmy." Mary shook her head.

"I vill believe you."

"Just a bad feeling. Something isn't right. I've had the oddest dreams lately and I don't think we're safe."

Viktor looked back at the way they had just come from. "Not a safe task. None of them vere, but you did vell."

"This is different." Mary brushed the hair from her forehead. "Just don't touch the Triwizard cup, okay?"

"How else do we vin?"

"Still trying to figure that out. Do you trust me?"

Viktor shot her a look, studying her face before he nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Mary nodded back. "Time to run."

They took off into the maze, nothing but their wandlight stretching across the path. Viktor made to turn down the different trail, but Mary grabbed his arm.

"It's this way."

"How do you know?"

"Just do."

Viktor remained silent, choosing to let her lead them back towards the center of the maze. The curves of the hedges were getting smaller and smaller, the turns tighter. They took the next left, and there it was. The Triwizard cup. It glowed an eerie blue from its pedestal in the center of the maze.

Mary moved forward, her feet pulling her closer to the cup. Wand in hand, she lifted her arm. " _Bombarda!_ " The cup flew through the air, landing unscathed next to the hedges. "Bloody hell!"

Loud skittering and clicking pulled her attention away. She spun around. An Acromantula was backing Viktor into a corner..

The cup or Viktor? The cup or Viktor?

Viktor shouted something in Bulgarian, and the Acromantula shuddered and stilled, its jaws still clicking rapidly as it fell over on its side.

"You okay?" Mary looked down at his bleeding arm.

"A scratch." Viktor shrugged it off.

Mary tore the bottom of her shirt, cast a cooling spell on it, and wrapped it around his arm. "That'll have to do until Pomfrey can see to it."

"Thanks." Viktor smiled slightly. "Thought you might take the cup vithout me."

"Damned thing won't break," Mary grumbled.

Soft footsteps sounded in the distance. Viktor and Mary both took a step back, not knowing what was about to pop out next.

Then, her pale face appeared.

"Fleur!" Mary breathed a sigh of relief.

"No!" Fleur let out a small cry, stumbling forward.

Another figure appeared behind her. Mary and Viktor lifted their wands, but the figure grabbed Fleur by the hair, jerking her upright until her back was flush against his chest.

"Drop your wands or she dies," Mr. Crouch ordered them, pulling tighter on Fleur's hair.

"Crouch!" Viktor clenched his fists. "Vhat is the meaning of this?"

Mr. Crouch dropped Fleur, her knees hitting the ground at once. He dug something out of his pocket and knelt next to her, keeping her as a human shield.

"I repeat. Drop your wands or she dies." He held a very familiar sharp knife to Fleur's throat. "Toss them this way. I don't have all night."

Mary grimaced, throwing her wand in his direction. Viktor did the same moments later.

"Let her go." Mary said in a voice that sounded calmer than she felt. "You have our wands, you don't need her."

"Your other wand as well, Potter." Mr. Crouch smiled, his face twisting and changing until his true form appeared.

"There are teachers and Aurors patrolling the grounds," Mary said. "You should leave before you're caught."

"They're busy. A big fire on the other end of the maze near the stands. They've all been working to put it out."

"Who are you?" Viktor took another step toward him.

"None of your concern," Barty Jr replied easily. "I'm only here for Potter. Now the other wand, Potter. I won't ask again."

Mary watched the blade dig deeper into Fleur's throat, a rivulet of blood dripping down her pale skin. Without hesitating, she pulled her Holly wand from its holster and tossed it towards Barty.

"You have the wands." Mary stepped forward, her hands in the air. "You have me. Let Fleur go."

"No." Viktor moved to grab her arm, but she stepped out of the way.

" _Crucio!_ " Barty arced his wand, and Viktor fell to the ground, screaming and writhing.

"Stop!" Mary cried out, diving down to shield Viktor from the spell.

No pain. Viktor stilled beneath her. Mary stood, placing herself between the two men. She winced when Barty cast another spell, but nothing happened other than green numbers floating above him.

"Almost time." He flicked his tongue out of his mouth.

"What do you want with us?" Fleur cried, standing on the tips of her toes to avoid the blade.

"You're nothing to me." Barty let out a maniacal laugh. "This night. It's all about Potter. Months it's taken to plan and prepare, to have every ingredient and every star aligned in the Dark Lord's favor."

Viktor stood shakily, moving closer to Mary. "You vill not take her!"

" _Accio wands!_ " Barty cast, pulling all three wands to him.

Mary almost laughed when her wand landed in his pocket, the anti-theft charm shocking him until he flung it away.

"Think it's funny, do you?" Barty's eyes bugged out, his wand pointed at her. " _Petrificus Totalus_!"

It happened too fast. Her legs and arms snapped to their sides, and she toppled over, only able to see Viktor scramble to his feet and rush forward.

" _Crucio!_ " Barty cast again.

Once more, Viktor fell to the ground, screaming and writhing. Mary laid there on her side, helpless, nothing to do but see the depth of her own failure.

" _Silencio!_ " Viktor's screams cut off abruptly.

"Twenty minutes more, love." Barty's voice sounded soft. "The Dark Lord has been waiting so long for this night, and I won't see anything get in the way of our careful plans. Kneel!"

Fleur's knees landed next to Mary's face, trembling and shaking. "Let us go, please!"

"That just won't do. You see, it's all part of the plan. Mary Potter, deranged girl can't cope with the stress of the Tournament. The three of you raced for the cup at the same time. A fight broke out. The Girl Who lived, in a fit of rage, kills both of her competitors before fleeing the scene. Everyone will gasp and cry over what their heroine did."

"Zhey will not believe it!" Fleur argued.

"Oh, they will!" Barty cackled madly. "Just like they'll learn that she slipped a love potion into a chocolate rose and used the Imperius curse on the Diggory boy. Or how she set fire to the maze using dark magic."

Mary's mind spun.  _The Imperius Curse!_  She should have known Cedric would never act that way! And what good would a love potion do? How could a sixth year help her?

As though he had read Mary's thoughts, Barty whispered into Fleur's ear, "You weren't supposed to be here, love. Not you or Krum. Just Potter. If she'd ate that chocolate rose like we'd planned, then I would have impersonated Diggory and given her everything she needed to get to the cup long before you two ever could. You see, portkeys don't work at Hogwarts. Only ones approved by the headmaster himself. And Potter here has too many people ready to protect her at a moment's notice. That and the Trace. All it took was getting Dumbledore to approve the cup as a means to get the winning champion back to the stands, and I had a way to get Potter off the grounds. The Dark Lord is a genius wise beyond his years."

Mary would have vomited at his praise for the monster if she'd been able, but she was trapped in her own body.  _He's giving me information I can use._

"Two minutes," Barty sang. "You really are lovely for a half-breed French girl, you know that? If I had time, I'd be half tempted to take you with me."

A hiss rang through the air. " _Crucio!_ "

Fleur began to sob uncontrollably. Viktor's body thrashed along the ground in a grotesque fashion, but no sound escaped his lips. Mary felt the knot in her throat grow. This was all her fault. She'd failed to protect them and now they were both suffering for her mistakes.

"Be a dear and grab the cup, will you?" Barty asked as though he'd invited her to tea. "Or your friend gets another round of the Cruciatus."

Fleur moved slowly toward the cup, and Mary lost sight of her for a second, but then she was back, the cup's glow shining on the wet grass.

"Such a waste." Barty sighed.

"No." Fleur's voice shook.

Something warm splattered on Mary's face. The instinct to blink was there, but the ability was not. She watched as Fleur's knees buckled and collapsed, her wide eyes staring straight at Mary. The thick red line across her throat, a puddle of blood forming around her face.

_No, no, no. Not like this._

Mary was lifted up and pulled to Barty's side. The scene in front of her even worse from this angle.

"One more to go." Barty kissed her cheek. "What would be best from a fourth year? Hmm…  _Bombarda_!"

The spell hit Viktor full on, sending him flying through the air. His head hit the concrete pedestal with a sickening crack, neck at an odd angle. He didn't move again.

"Nice work, Potter. Now for your final task!"

Mary felt the tug at her navel, the world twisting and pulling at her, but all she could see were the bodies of her friends. The image burnt into her mind. Igniting a rage she'd never felt before.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> Thank you so much for your continued readership and support! It means the world to me!
> 
> Much love to my wonderful alpha-editor, theaberrantwritergirl, for making this chapter pretty. She's such an awesome person and writer. You can find her works in my Favorite Authors tab.


	34. The Dark Lord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for blood, gore, violence, torture.

 

"You're heavier than I expected," Barty said as soon as the portkey spat them out.

Barty's warm chest was at her back, his hot breath in her ear. Far, far too close.

 _Finite. Finite. Finite Incantatem._ She mentally repeated. The spell held strong. The only way out of this would be if he let her free, and that didn't seem likely.

Her shoulder hit the ground first, a bruise would form there later. And out of the corner of her eye, she watched his arm arc in a familiar pattern, one that had her floating in front of him, nothing but her own heartbeat thrumming in her ears to accompany her.

The stairs creaked under his weight, but the sounds weren't what pulled her from her frantic thoughts. It was the smell. The stale odor of dust and years of neglect. Death and decay hung heavy in the air.

None of it compared to the throbbing in her head, that burning that split her scar wide open, leaving a trail of warmth leaking down the bridge of her nose and across her lips. It only amplified with each of Barty's footsteps. There was no denying what was in that room, Mary knew it all too well. But it was one thing to see it happening in Harry's memories and another thing altogether experiencing it for herself.

The door opened and a high cold voice rang through her ears. "You've arrived."

With no range of vision, Mary stared at the wall in front of her, watching it come closer and closer until hot hands grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. He left her propped up against the wall like a mannequin, forced to take in the reality of her situation.

Dirt covered every surface, the bed to her right held a lump of rags, a pale foot sticking out from under the covers. So pale and blue. Like Fleur. Like Viktor. Dead. Gone.

"I'm sorry for the delay, my lord." Barty bent down next to the armchair, kissing the hem of the dark blanket. "Everything has gone according to your plan."

"This pleases me." A scaly thin hand reached out to touch his face. "And the girl?"

"She's here." Barty turned, the fire cast his face in a harsh light.

"Show me."

Mary wished she could look away, tried again to break free of the spell, but couldn't. All she could do was occlude her mind. Think of the clouds. But the clear blue sky and the rush of wind on her face only brought the image of Viktor flying next to her into sharper focus. So young and alive, which snapped her back to the image of his broken and bleeding body.

Her heart clenched, eyes watered, but there was no release from this spell. Grief wasn't something that could be countered or reversed. But it could be diverted. The cursed scar burned so hotly she thought it would catch fire. And when she thought she was at the point of gaining control enough to centre herself, it intensified.

Those pale red eyes met hers, leaving her powerless to stop his intrusion. Memory after memory flowed from her mind to his. Life at Hogwarts, researching spells in the Black family library, detention with Snape. Then it turned to the things that she didn't want to relive. The Dursleys. The Dementor attack. Fleur's death. Viktor's death. The pain erupted ten fold while he lingered over those events, savouring them.

"You've done well, Barty."

The connection was severed.

"Almost there, Master," said Barty.

Horror enveloped her. Dying like this. Stuck under this spell. Every hopeful thread of getting out of this unscathed unravelled before her eyes.

Something moved in the corner of her vision. It was on the bed, slithering through the corpse, its head sliding down the footboard and across the floor. It was huge, not that Mary hadn't expected that, but in person, it made it that much worse. Nagini tasted the air and continued to slowly creep forward until she was out of Mary's range of vision. A heavy weight settled on her foot, then slowly coiled around her body, the thick muscles contracting and moving as Nagini wrapped herself around Mary's torso.

A cold forked tongue flicked out to taste her cheek and Mary wanted nothing more than to scream. Nagini ran her scaly neck against Mary's face, continuing upward until the snake settled around her shoulders, resting her head on top of Mary's like a crown. Again Nagini's tongue darted out to touch the scar on her forehead and Mary felt revulsion roll through herself. Could Nagini sense another… Mary didn't let the thought go any further.

"Patience, Nagini," Voldemort said. "You will be fed, but not now."

Shit, Mary just knew that she'd be the first course.

"It's time. Are you ready, Master?"

"I've waited years for this day."

Nothing was going right. There were still three… of them left, one of which was currently nuzzling her face in a manner that could almost be considered curious. There was no backup plan, she'd told no one what she knew, told no one of the ones she'd destroyed. If she died tonight, everything she had worked so hard to change would still come to pass.

"Remove the spell, Barty. Simple bindings will do. I wish to speak to her."

Barty lifted his wand. The snake around Mary's shoulder's coiled up tighter, a hiss spitting from its mouth.

"Stand down, Nagini. Barty means you no harm."

" _She tastes odd, Massster."_  Nagini hissed in return, rubbing her scaly face against Mary's cheek. " _Ssspecial."_

Mary felt the thick ropes wrap around her ankles, and with another snap of his wrist, Mary felt the petrification spell dissipate, her knees giving out at once. With the ropes around her arms and legs, she barely had time to prepare herself, leaning heavily against the wall. She turned her head, teeth gnashing at the snake. Nagini hissed and slithered out of the way just in time.

Barty grabbed her arm, hauling her to her knees, and dragged her closer to the armchair that Voldemort sat in.

"What does being a Death Eater pay these days?" Mary asked, her fists clenched behind her back. "Are you being properly compensated for washing his scaly ass?"

Barty let go, not caring that Mary fell hard on her side. "Master?"

"As you wish."

"What you gotta ask permission to go to the loo?" Mary scoffed. "Pathetic."

" _Crucio!"_

The spell hit her at once. A fire burned through her bones. Her muscles cramped up, forcing her body to seize inward. The sensation intensifying with each moment. She sank her teeth into her lower lip to keep from crying out, but every part of her yearned to scream, to let her wails shatter the windows.

"Enough!" The spell ended, a coughing sound erupted from the grotesque form of Babymort. "It is time."

Mary scrambled back to her knees and struggled to stand, only for Barty's wand to be in her face once again. The blue spell hit her full on.

When she woke again her back was against the cold headstone, arms splayed out and feet spread apart, bound by invisible ropes to the statue that stood above Tom Riddle Sr's grave. The stabbing pain in her scar had reached an intolerable level and it was all she could do not to pass out. Barty's arms wrapped around her while he made sure she was secured in place.

"Good, you're awake." He whispered into her ear, his nose touching her neck, lingering there. "He can't wait to have you."

Mary stretched out, sinking her teeth into the tough flesh of his neck, shaking her head and tugging, not caring that he was screaming and that his blood was dripping down her chin. Death was all he deserved.

"You taste like the piece of shit you are!" Mary spat on the ground. "He can have you!"

"Barty! Don't waste your time with her. She's a savage."

Mary smirked, watching Barty stumble away, a hand clutched to his bloodied neck. "Have fun! Break a leg! Lose an arm! I'll be happy to watch!"

"Silence her," Voldemort ordered.

The spell hit her at once, but Mary didn't care. All she needed was a little time and she could figure this out. First, she needed her wand, then she needed to figure out where Barty had put the cup.  _A portkey!_  She had one stuck to her wand holster! She focused on her leg, on the leather straps wrapped around her calf.

Only it wasn't there. The bastard had not only gotten too close for comfort, but he'd taken her last chance of escape.

But what was there to go back to? It'd been hours since she was taken. They'd likely found Viktor and Fleur. Who else was there to blame but her? Hogwarts wasn't an option. But the portkey would have at least taken her to Grimmauld Place. Sirius and Remus would believe her. They'd make sure that she was safe.

Her scar burned again and Mary let out a silent scream. Letting it pour out of her now that no one could witness or hear her pain. The rage erupted from her like a volcano, but she felt no release.

The magical ropes around her tightened and she opened her eyes to see Barty carrying the scaly piece of dung towards the large cauldron. The stench of the potion wafted toward her, making her retch and vomit on the grass below. Blood continued to trickle down her face, leaking into her eye and then her mouth.

It couldn't happen this way! No one knew what needed to be done. She'd been stupid and headstrong, keeping everything to herself. And for what? So that the maniacal being could come back into power and kill her? Where would that leave Sirius and Remus? Where would that leave Ron and Hermione? None of them would believe the evidence. They would know she had no part in Viktor and Fleur's deaths. Even Dumbledore would know that. But he'd be so stuck on finding and eliminating all of the the….things… that he wouldn't realize that she'd already taken care of four of them, five if that included her own death.

In her own fit of stubborn independence, she'd likely sentenced everyone she loved to death. They'd fight, that was a given, but would they win? How could they when he had a constant tie to the mortal plane?

The darkness seemed to pull closer, accentuating the fire beneath the cauldron. It made her eyes burn just looking at the flames, knowing what it was giving life to.

Barty carefully lowered Voldemort into the bubbling cauldron, causing sparks to drift into the sky. The liquid sparkled and hissed as Mary waited and watched on bated breath. She had not but a fool's hope that the self-proclaimed Dark Lord would drown.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

The stone cover of the grave beneath her feet cracked open. Entranced, Mary watched as a fine powder floated before her and fell into the mixture. The potion hissed and flared once again; turning the air around them into a dark poisonous-looking green fog.

"Flesh of the servant… willingly given…" Barty pulled out the long dagger; the same one he'd used to slit Fleur's throat, and held it tightly in his left hand. His voice was strong and his grip was sure, driving the blade downward and slicing off his own right hand. "You will," Barty hissed through his pain, "revive your master!"

Mary laughed at the sight, tremors running through her body. The sheer stupidity of this scum could not be matched! Here he had sliced off his own hand to resurrect a master that would no doubt torment and torture him for his ignorance. How she wished that she was the one who wielded that dagger. She would have taken far more from Barty than just a hand.

But just as she was about to give in to the stupor and delusions the pain caused, Barty stood, grasping both the dagger and his stump of an arm and moved toward her. His face set in a manic smile; no doubt in shock, and she knew exactly what he wanted from her. The ropes holding her arms lowered significantly and Mary had the brief idea that she could fight her way out of this situation, but the magical bindings kept her in place. Her arms stretched out in front of her as though she was presenting a gift. Mary bit down on her lip as Barty held the dagger to the crook of her right arm.

More blood, Mary told herself as she held completely still and took a deep breath to calm herself. It has to be taken by force. Another way I can muck up his plans.

He didn't know. No one knew outside of Dumbledore, Pomfrey, and her guardians. Not what the blood in that arm contained. Not what it could possibly do to him.

"Blood of the enemy forcibly taken!" Barty called out, his hot breath wafting over her face.

The silver dagger sliced through the main artery. Mary felt the hot liquid running down her arm and pouring off her fingertips into a small bowl.

Barty lifted his dark eyes to hers, a smirk on his face as he walked back to the cauldron and lifted the knife covered in her blood.

"You will resurrect your foe!" Barty let a few drops of her blood fall into the cauldron.

The effect was instant. Blinding white light shot up from the cauldron and the dark plumes of smoke engulfed everything in the area. Orange sparks danced in the air. The cauldron bubbled and its contents overflowed onto the ground below it. The bright light diminished and was replaced with the sickly glow of blood in the firelight.

The bright red blob, the size of a small child, lay at the bottom of the cauldron; stretching and moving grotesquely as it grew. The awful stench of burnt meat and hair overpowered everything else and Mary had to swallow down the bile and hold herself back from retching again. Her eyes stayed focused on that figure, watching as it transformed, twisted and changed, before standing up. It looked like a man, a tall naked man. His skin was red and splotchy like a newborn's. Thick dark hair, soaked through with the nasty green potion, clung to the sides of his pale face that held thin lips and a long regal nose.

It shouldn't have been this way. If Dumbledore's theory had been right, the warring magics would have killed him. The basilisk venom, the phoenix tears, even the werewolf saliva. Her giving her blood of free will. Voldemort should have died. Not come back whole and hearty, looking far more human than he had any right to be.

The pain in her scar had escalated to a whole new level, making her eyes water and whole body shake with the force of it. With all her might she tried to summon her wand. Time and time again she failed. Forced to watch her nemesis rise and stand before her.

"My robe, Barty," said Lord Voldemort, "it is time to call on those who turned their backs on me."

The man turned, revealing his glowing scarlet eyes. His tongue flitted out of his mouth, tasting the air for the first time, and a low moan emanated from his throat. He was nothing like was in Harry's memories.

Voldemort bent over and grabbed the bowl of her blood that sat next to the empty cauldron. His eyes focused upon her intently as he put the bowl to his lips and drained the container of every drop of liquid it held. He let it fall from his hands when Barty reappeared with a black robe that seemed to flow fluidly as though made from the darkest of magic. The gaunt-faced man gently robed his master, careful not to let the blood of his own arm touch the cloth in any way, then backed down to kneel at Voldemort's feet.

"Your arm, Barty, I feel my strength returning."

"My lord." Barty bowed his head, holding out the limb that held the Dark Mark.

Voldemort grabbed the man's arm and forcefully pressed his index finger into the skull of the Dark Mark.

Barty bit his lip and put his head down once more, the brand on his arm glowed bright red and slowly turned jet black. Mary let out a scream. Her scar burst open, threatening to crush her skull from the inside out. She could feel the stream of blood flowing from the lightning bolt shaped scar as darkness encroached.

Voldemort's eyes fluttered shut. The loud crack of others apparating into the area reverberating through the graveyard. Mary could hear their mutters and gasps. The low hum of fear and disbelief, when they looked up to find their former master standing whole and unharmed before them. Voldemort's distraction had Mary trying once again to summon her wand.

"Reborn of the bones of the filthy Muggle father that I killed," Voldemort whispered, moving to stand within a foot of her. "Faithfully served by the man who delivered you into my hands. Your blood though. That was the key ingredient. Twice this year I tried to apprehend you. Twice you escaped. That failure was not borne lightly. No, Barty paid for it quite dearly. But you were worth it."

"Go fuck yourself, Tom," Mary ground out.

"I was so disappointed when I was unable to kill you as a baby. I will admit that it was my own mistake. I underestimated your blood. But it will become my most powerful weapon. You see, Mary, with your blood flowing through my veins, you are no longer safe from me." Voldemort laughed, pulling a lock of her hair free and rubbing it between his fingers, his touch trailed down her bruised and burning cheek. "I can touch you now."

His scaly fingertip pulled at her bleeding lip. Mary couldn't resist. With one swift move, she jerked forward headbutted him. The sound of his skull cracking against hers was music to her ears.

Voldemort stumbled, eyes wide, then swung his arm out and hit Mary full in the face with the back of his hand. He turned his back on her to face his followers. "To think that others believe this pitiful child to be more powerful than I, Lord Voldemort. To think that my own followers fled and abandoned me over such a weak girl. Look at her now. She is nothing compared to me. A simple savage. Her power is nothing next to mine! Who would be the first to come forward and accept the honour of cursing her in my name?"

A robed and masked man stood to his feet and took a step forward. Bowing regally, sleek pale blond hair draped onto his robes. "I will, my lord."

"Lucius," Voldemort crooned, his eyes flashing in amusement. "The Cruciatus if you will."

The words had barely left the thinly lipped mouth and the curse was already hitting her. Mary gasped and sunk her front teeth into her lip, biting down as hard as she could to keep from screaming again. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. But to her immense surprise, the pain was fleeting.

Voldemort shook his head in a mockery of disappointment. "This displeases me, Lucius. Barty, reward him."

Barty lifted his wand, pointing it at Malfoy and chuckled as the man fell to the ground screaming.

"Get back in line!" Voldemort hissed at them both. "There is only one of you here tonight that has the right to hold such a place of honour! Barty, step forward."

Barty stopped a few feet away from his master, kneeling and bending again to kiss the mud-stained robes. "I am at your command, my lord."

Voldemort reached down to pull Barty's injured arm up. The evil wizard waved his wand and then stopped. His whole body seemed to stiffen.

"Heal yourself, Barty, you're making a mess."

"My lord?"

"Need I repeat myself?" Voldemort's tone was razor sharp.

"No my Lord."

While Voldemort's attention was pulled away, it gave Mary the distraction she needed. Focusing on a wand, any wand, with her eyes tightly shut, a chant echoed in her mind.  _Accio wand!_   _Accio wand! Accio wand! Accio wand!_  A soft whooshing sound caught her ear as a wand flew through the air and smacked loudly into the palm of her hand.

 _Finite Incantatem. Finite Incantatem. Finite Incantatem._ The ropes disappeared and she fell to the ground with a muffled thump, masked by the sound of Voldemort's infuriated scream.

Mary scrambled to her feet and dove behind a headstone. Voldemort's rage intensified, almost knocking her back down. She held a hand to her scar, pressing against an effort to ease the ache.

"Do not let her escape!" Voldemort hissed at the group of Death Eaters that had moved to surround him. "Lucius, Macnair, Nott, I want her brought back to me alive! Barty, replace the wards and return my wand! No one is to leave until she is found!"

"Yes, my lord!" The four men replied quickly, moving away from there master and joining the others in the search for Mary.

Mary pulled her father's cloak from her pocket and wrapped it tightly around herself, leaning against a crypt and trying to catch her breath while working on an escape plan. She crept from place to place, constantly checking her surroundings and hoping for a safe way out, but Death Eaters were everywhere.

A twig snapped and she spun around, her foot catching on the hem of the cloak and pulling it down to reveal her face. The grisly looking man smirked and dodged her disarming charm, casting a bright yellow curse at her feet. She jumped out of the way without a moment to spare and grasped the edge of the cloak to hide again.

" _Crucio!"_  A loud voice boomed from behind Mary.

It was the fourth time she'd been hit with that damned curse that night and it only hurt worse. The bones in her body felt like they were on fire, slowly burning her from the inside out. Her hand clutched the yew wand with a death grip, her eyes snapping open as she ground her teeth and glared at MacNair. A wave of magic burst forth, knocking the man to his feet and sending his own wand flying off into the darkness.

With the cloak covering her once again, she slowly crawled over to a nearby tombstone, knowing that she wouldn't make it too much farther. A cold sweat washed over her, her stomach rolling while her limbs cramped up and acted as though they would snap under the pressure.

"She's close," Malfoy told the others from just a scant twenty feet away. "Just to the north. Nott, go around and cover from the gate. We can't let her get past the wards."

 _Wards!_  Mary's eyes widened and her breathing picked up.  _I have to get out of the cemetery!_

Mary launched herself to the left, taking off at a dead sprint. The streetlights in the distance called to her, showing the path to safety. A spell sizzled past her face and she zigzagged, using the headstones for cover. Another curse blasted apart a marble bust, shooting bits of debris in every direction.

_"Stupefy!"_

Mary ducked, shooting up a shield charm just in time, then rolled to her feet and continued to run.

The hedgerow grew closer and closer, the shadows cast by the streetlight putting her into near darkness. Her foot caught on a rock and she tumbled forward, sprawled out in the wet grass.

" _Bombarda!"_

" _Protego!"_  Mary pulled her wand upward, her shield holding true, while another spell sat ready on her lips. " _Confringo!"_

Nott, Sr couldn't get his shield up in time. He tried to duck, but the spell caught the top of his skull, caving it in and sent a splatter of gore and blood onto Lucius Malfoy's robes.

Mary stood, her legs trembling and her eyes burning, as the body fell with a muffled thump.

A flash of orange and then she crumpled to the ground. The bones in her right leg crunched together with the sound of stone on stone.

Malfoy laughed, his steps calm and sure. Her hands shook, but her grip on the yew wand didn't falter. It wanted blood. " _Expulso!"_

Malfoy batted the curse away as though it were a fly. " _Expellia-"_

" _Imperio!"_

Mary's curse hit Lucius full in the face. His eyes glazed over and he tripped on the hem of his own robes, still ambling toward her.

"Go away," Mary ordered him.

Lucius turned and walked in the opposite direction, heedless to the voices calling out to him.

"She's 'ere!" Macnair's gravelly voice called out.

Mary spun around, hopping on one leg, backing away from the group that walked toward her. " _Bombarda Maxima!"_

Macnair's hoarse laugh echoed through the graveyard as he jumped in glee, wand raised in the air, and he cast another Cruciatus curse at her, but she was able to roll out of its path and fired back. " _Stupefy!"_

" _Protego!"_

" _Bombarda Maxima!"_  Mary yelled again, watching in mild fascination as the spell shot through the air like lightning, hitting Macnair full in the chest.

The force of the explosion charm made Macnair explode in a shower of meaty chunks, blood and bone fragments.

"Very nice, Potter!" Voldemort clapped stepping through the fog. "I thought there was no hope for you, but I now see that you can be useful." Voldemort didn't even spare a glance at his fallen servant. His movements swift and fluid as he stopped and stood in front of the others. "You have a quality that I've rarely seen. Do you know what that is, Potter?"

"Good hygiene?" Mary snarled, still moving backwards.

"Not quite." Voldemort hissed at her, red eyes glowing brighter the closer he came. "You don't have any reservations about killing. I can see it in your eyes. You have no remorse for the life you have just ended, only satisfaction."

"Of course I'm satisfied!" Mary replied, "he tried to kill me!"

"You intrigue me, Mary Potter. But I do believe it is time to end this charade once and for all."

"Have at it then." Mary shrugged, steeling her nerves and grasping the yew wand.

"Kill her!" Voldemort ordered his Death Eaters.

Shouts rang from every direction, a race to see who could kill her first. " _Avada Kedavra!"_

Mary darted behind a headstone, a flash of green light flying far too close to her face.

" _Incendio!"_

The large ball of flames created the distraction she needed to limp out into the street.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

Mary stopped and spun on the spot, the green light growing closer.

With a faint pop, she disapparated, leaving nothing but a trail of her blood behind.

* * *

 

 


	35. Evelina

_**POP** _

Mary wheezed in a breath, ears ringing. Pain arced through her right side, a cold sweat rushing over her. It sent her crashing to her knees, stomach rolling until its meagre contents spilt onto the tiled floor. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she leaned back on her heels. Blood and vomit puddled around her, a dark red stream that poured down her fingertips. She couldn't feel her Muggle hand. Couldn't move it.

The urge to look was too much, so she gave in to her own curiosity, knowing she would regret it later. Pulling back her father's cloak, Mary took in the sight. Just above the suppression cuff, she'd nearly splinched off her arm. It hung there limply, held in place by one strip of flesh and the remnants of her sleeve. Her stomach lurched again, but nothing came up. Her eyes watered, the dry heaves continuing until she was out of breath.

_**Thud, thud, thud, thud.** _

Someone was coming.

Mary scooted backwards, pressing her back against the tile wall, trying to stretch the cloak over herself, but one handed it impossible to do in so little time. Her entire body ached for an escape from the madness. Yearned for anything to ease the pain, but there was always another fight. Something else that would keep her from rest.

_**Scrape. Scrape.** _

A stooped elderly man rounded the corner, his brown jacket filthy, his grey hair tangled and wiry. He was picking food tins out of the bin to her right. Mary held her breath, remaining still as possible, but he turned at the sound of her right hand falling to the floor.

His blue eyes focused on her face, studying her, then widened upon the sight of blood and vomit.

"You okay, girl?" The soft voice escaped the grizzled man.

The strong scent of alcohol wafted toward her when he stumbled closer.

"I'm fine."

The words sounded hollow and stupid. No wonder Ron and Hermione got irritated each time she uttered the phrase. How could she be fine when her arm was dangling at her side and she'd just succeeded in helping a merciless murdering bastard rise from the dead? Mary leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Her strength was slowly fading, the sharpness of adrenaline giving way to a bone-deep agony.

More footsteps. Louder this time. The low hum of voices. Her vision blurred, filling with large blobs of dark blues and greens.

"Can you hear us, dear?" A woman asked.

Mary blinked rapidly, chills crawling up her spine. Or was that just the cold tile wall against her back? Who were these people surrounding her with their suffocating presence?

"Stay back!"

_Muggle London. No magic. Muggle London. No magic._

The wand in her pocket was calling to her, itching to be brought out and used. What if she was tracked? What if the Death Eaters were looking for her? Could she be leading them straight to innocent people?

"We need to get you to a hospital." The ginger-haired woman started to kneel beside her.

"Stop!" Mary held her hand out, keeping the woman at a distance. "Just stay back, please."

"That's all right." The woman tentatively reached out and wrapped her fingers around Mary's. "We're only here to help. We mean you no harm. Are you okay with that?"

It was such a simple question. Her heart clenched.  _Am I?_  Her heart raced, the whooshing sound echoing in her ears.

"Okay."

* * *

Severus rubbed at his arm through his sleeve. A nagging burn had taken hold there that couldn't be erased. Not even his most potent numbing salve would keep it at bay. The conversations around him did nothing to curtail his thoughts nor provide an appurtenant distraction. His younger self would probably laugh at his weakness. It was what he signed up for that night when he let that bastard place  _his_  wand to Severus' arm, casting a spell that would brand him for all time as the weakest of the weak.

A servant and nothing more.

An orange glow erupted in the distance. A fireball that set the tall hedges to light and sent the crowd into a panic.

"This way." Dumbledore manoeuvred through the crowd, unhindered by the mass of bodies that pushed against them.

A large group followed, letting Dumbledore lead the way to the labyrinth. By the gods, if it was Potter that caused this mess, he'd personally see to it that she be strung up by her toes.

Moody's magical eye scanned the area. "No one around."

"An ominous start to say the least." Bagman wrung his hands together before fishing a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe at his sweaty brow. "Can that eye see the Champions by any chance, Moody?"

"Got nothin'." Moody shook his head. "Fire's moving quick though. It's spellfire that's for sure. No natural fire would burn across the wet ground like that."

"Should we recall the Champions?" Lupin cast a jet of water at the burning hedgerow. "At least until we get this under control?"

"Once the task starts they're in it for good," Bagman replied. "Nothing we can do but get the fire out of their way."

Severus gripped at his burning arm, turning to see Igor stiffen and do the same. Frightened eyes met his. Igor turned and walked away.

"What's got him?" William Weasley asked, barely sparing Igor's retreating form a glance.

"He's a coward!" Moody spat. "Always has been. One of your cohorts, eh, Snape?"

"Not the time, gentleman." Minerva intervened, casting him a pitying glance.

"Minerva, will you return to the stands and see to it that are students are well and accounted for?"

"Yes, Headmaster." Minerva looked at the growing flames with a glint of worry in her eyes, but still, she followed orders.

"What 'bout Ally?" Hagrid stood on the tips of his toes, as though he might be over to see the other side. "She was close teh here. Peaches too."

Mr. Scamander pulled out a strange wooden whistle from his pocket and blew it twice. No sound came from it, but from the way Lupin clutched his ears and groaned, it clearly wasn't meant for humans.

A booming roar split the air. An answer to Scamander's call.

"That's Ally!" Scamander's grandson grinned, then sobered. "Doesn't sound like she's where we left her."

"You three go!" Bagman shooed them away. "This is a big enough mess! Just think, a graphorn, a sphinx, a hippogriff, and an acromantula set loose on Hogwarts grounds!"

"Sounds like a bad pub joke." Black said, no humour in his tone.

Hagrid and both Scamanders took off to the right side of the maze. Severus stayed where he was, trying to get the blaze under control. The flames acted as though they were alive, jumping from hedge to hedge, leading them in circles.

"It eez out of control, Dumblydore!" Madame Maxime called out when the flames licked at her robes. "We must get them out!"

"Stand back!"

They all obeyed, watching as Dumbledore conjured a massive rolling sphere of water, letting it dip up and down over the fire. It took the entire group's combined efforts and nearly an hour before the flames were doused completely.

They stood back to survey the damage, barely having time to catch their breath when the sky above them glowed a dark red.

The sparks danced and illuminated the night sky.

The burning in his arm increased.

A champion had given up.

" _Partem Moverti!_ " Dumbledore shot a spell forward and the hedgerow parted, guiding them straight to the source.

They ran at a brisk pace. Black, Weasley, and Lupin at the front of the group. Only to find an acromantula stunned in the path before it widened into the circular centre of the labyrinth. The hippogriff stood nearby, pawing angrily at the ground.

"No!" Madame Maxime cried, running forward, her long legs taking her faster than they could keep up.

Black stopped in his tracks. Lupin did the same.

Maxime slumped to the ground, pulling a lump into her lap.

Severus knelt next to her. Miss Delacour was blue. Her eyes staring up at her headmistress and her mouth moving soundlessly.

"Viktor?" Dumbledore's voice called across the distance.

Severus looked that way to see another lifeless form on the ground. There wasn't time to think, only to act. A stream of latin poured from his mouth, his wand hovered over the young girl's throat, watching and concentrating as the flesh and tissue began to stitch itself back together.

Delacour's mouth continued to open and close like a fish out of water.

"What eez it?" Madame Maxime bent closer to her. "Who did this, Fleur?"

"'Ary-" Fleur gasped, her hand clutching a blackthorn wand. "'Ary-"

"Don't speak." Severus bit out, pulling her from Maxime's lap and laying her flat out on the ground. "You're only going to damage your larynx further."

"No!" Delacour leaned up, but he placed a firm hand on her shoulder, keeping her from moving.

Despite the pain burning through him, a chill ran up his spine.  _Potter._  Could she have done this?

He gave the thought no more attention, moving instead to where Dumbledore had Krum loaded onto a stretcher.

"How is he?" Severus asked.

"I'm not a healer. They need Poppy's keen eyes and abilities." Dumbledore placed a weathered hand on the boy's shoulder.

"But Mary!" Black rushed to their side. "We have to find her!"

"She was here." Lupin walked an unseen path. "She was near the acromantula, but not close. Then she turned and stopped. Her scent is strongest here." Lupin stood next to the pedestal. "Then she moved forward. There's something else. Someone else. Not Viktor or Fleur."

"You're not a bloodhound, Lupin!" Snape bit out. "In case you haven't noticed, we have two gravely injured students here while Potter is off doing Merlin knows what! Pull your tail out of your arse and help us get them back to the school!"

"Don't you dare blame her!" Black barked out, wand pointed straight at Severus' face.

"Enough!" Dumbledore moved between them. "We'll know more once we get Miss Delacour and Mr. Krum are treated."

"The cup is gone!" Bagman yelled from the other side.

"Mary?" Black ran toward him.

"No sign of her," Bagman said, "but if she took the cup then she's likely in front of the crowd. We have a champion!"

"What we have is two hurt kids. One near death's door!" Black echoed his own words, holding two fingers to Krum's throat. "Mary's missing, and there's no explanation! Bugger the tournament!"

Everyone shut up. Moving to either run ahead or stay alongside the gurneys.

"Ah!" The cry escaped his lips, bringing everyone to a halt.

Dumbledore turned to him, his blue eyes narrowed at seeing Severus' hand clutching his left forearm. "Is it time?"

"What do you ask of me?" Severus stood stock still, ice running through his veins.

"That is your decision, not mine." Dumbledore put his head down.

"You know I must." Severus returned, teeth gritted as the pain amplified.

"Be safe," Dumbledore clasped his shoulder.

Severus shrugged off his touch, unable to withstand it with an unknown fate hanging over his head.

"What's going on?" Black asked.

Severus ground his teeth together. Leave it to Black to choose this time to bring out the idiotic dunderhead he usually was. Severus pulled back his sleeve. The brand sat there bold and black, the edges puckered and red. "He's back."

"Oh, gods." Lupin stumbled to a halt. "No, Albus, from all you told us, there is no way this could be happening so soon! No, Mary's not with him. She's fine."

Sirius straightened, staring at the Dark Mark, then lifted his gaze. "Find her."

Leaded feet carried him forward, the implications of everything that was happening settling down on his shoulders like an anchor. Each step took him closer to a life he'd long left behind. The castle that had felt like his first home surrounded him, each portrait that turned to greet him, a friend he might never meet again.

The door to his quarters shut behind him with a soft click. The tall black chest in the back corner flipped open with a wave of his wand. There sitting neatly folded on the top were those stiff black robes and that pale silver mask. It was  _his_  own design. The mouth stitched shut, sharp cheekbones and a hooked nose. He ran his long fingertips over the cold metal.

Time was running out. He shut the trunk. Shut off his emotions. Fortified his own thoughts and memories. The headmaster was aware of his last wishes should things not go to plan. He could see it now. Albus and Minerva the only attendants to a ceremony in Spinner's End. A simple headstone next to his mother's.

 _Her_  disappointed eyes there to meet him in the next life.

At the apparition point in Hogsmeade he pulled the robe over his shoulders, settling the mask in place. And after one last glance at Hogwarts, he placed the tip of his wand to the Dark Mark.

The world around him spun and shifted inside out. He landed gracefully outside Malfoy Manor. The pale white marble shone in the night, the albino peacocks shuffled out of his way. Still, he refused to let his thoughts stray to the coincidence of the night's events.

He stopped on the stoop, his hand reaching for the knocker when the door opened of its own accord. Lucius stood before him, bedraggled, white blond hair out of place, his hands shaking.

"The Dark Lord is waiting for you."

"I've arrived as soon as I was able without raising suspicion."

Lucius shuddered, his gate stiff as he led them toward the formal dining room.

"How is our Lord?" Severus let the title slip past his lips with practised ease, a little mock concern to accompany it.

"Ask me yourself, Severus." The voice called out.

"My Lord," he breathed, turning into the room, his gaze moving to the high backed chair at the far end.

The Dark Lord sat there straight-backed, looking every bit as regal as he did menacing.

"Come closer," The Dark Lord ordered. "Have you missed me, Severus?"

"More than anything, my lord."

Severus rushed toward him, kneeling and bending down to kiss the hem of his robes. A cold hand caressed his face, forcing him to lift his head. He felt sick.

"Look at me."

Without hesitation, he complied.  _His_ glowing red eyes pinned Severus in place. The intrusion into his mind wasn't soft or gentle like the man's touch, it was a

battering ram, tearing through his thoughts and memories without regard. They flickered in his mind's eye like a film. Going all the way back to that fateful Halloween and played right up until he walked into the room.

Thin fingers gripped his cheek before releasing him, the presence abruptly gone from his mind.

"Tell me about the Potter girl."

"Anything, my lord." Severus looked away, head pounding. "What do you wish to know?"

"The silver band on her arm. I want to know more."

* * *

"Girl...is dangerous! How eez it we were not told this, Dumblydore?"

"An outrage! Explain... to his mother! Her son..."

Sirius bristled, the raised voices on the other side of Dumbledore's office door did nothing to ease his panic, it only amplified it. Bill and Remus stood behind him, as they had for the last fifteen minutes while Dumbledore entertained the Beauxbatons' headmistress and the Bulgarian Minister.

"We don't have time for this!" Sirius knocked once again, then tried a different spell to unlock the door.

"We should be out there looking for her." Remus looked back at the winding staircase. "Dumbledore is as clueless as the rest of us, I don't know what you're trying to get from him."

"He knows something!" Sirius shouted back.

"That conversation with Snape. What was that about?" Bill added. "It was hard to miss."

Sirius clenched his fists. "Mary's disappearance isn't a coincidence."

"Don't." The low growl rippled through Remus' chest. "It can't be that."

"We won't know until-"

The door opened, they pressed to the walls to make room for the massively tall woman and the Bulgarian man.

Sirius didn't hesitate, he burst into the room, a curse ready on his tongue, but his mouth snapped shut at the sight before him. Albus had his head cradled in his hands. His glasses sat on the desk in front of him.

"Twice tonight, "Albus' voice was a mere whisper, "I've had to tell parents that their children were injured while under my care. Yet, I don't know if I have the strength for a third."

"What do you know?"

"Severus was called back into Voldemort's ranks."

"What does that mean?" Bill asked.

"He's back." Sirius bent down, hands on his knees. "He's back and Mary's with him."

"What are you talking about?" Bill asked, looking back and forth between the three other men. "Voldemort's been dead for years."

"That's not quite true." Albus looked up. "It's very likely, that as of tonight, he walks the Earth once more."

"How did he get her?" Sirius stood, placing his palms on Dumbledore's desk. The urge to hit the man in front of him growing stronger by the minute. "You were supposed to make sure she was protec-"

The fireplace flared with green light, Madam Pomfrey's voice calling through it; "Miss Delacour is awake, headmaster."

Sirius didn't wait, he grabbed a pinch of Floo powder from the mantle and jumped into the fire. It spat him out in the hospital wing, nearly toppling Poppy over.

"Mr. Black!" She lurched away. "I never!"

"Where is she? Has she said anything?"

"She's awake but unable to speak." Pomfrey dusted off her skirts. "You're not to interrogate my patients, Black!"

"Nor mine." Andy walked into the office.

Sirius felt his heart drop.

He had no time to go to Fleur. The Floo spat out Remus and Bill, followed by Dumbledore. Then more people appeared. The Bulgarian Minister, Madame Maxime, a French couple, Amelia Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Tonks.

The Frenchwoman asked. "My daughter is here?"

"This way," Andy held the office door open for them, stopping the others after the French couple went through. "Let her see her parents first."

"We need answers!" Remus moved toward Andy.

"No." Tonks grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. "After her parents, we'll talk to her. It's a Ministry affair now."

Remus pulled free of her grip. "But Mary-"

"We'll find her," Kingsley promised.

Sirius collapsed onto the bench behind him.

"Is this the Mary that attacked Viktor and Miss Delacour?" The Bulgarian Minister spoke up.

"Mary would never hurt them!" Remus ground out, wand in his hand. "They're her friends!"

"Pettigrew was your friend," Amelia said. "You trusted him."

"Ami," Sirius stood. "If you even dare to compare Mary to that rat, then I'm going to-"

"You'll do nothing." Kingsley stood in front of Amelia. "We're going to find out what's happened tonight. That's what we're all here for. Answers. It'd be best if you three went somewhere else for the time being."

Hours passed.

Madam Pomfrey and Andy rarely checked in. There was no change. Fleur had been dosed with a sleeping potion. Viktor still hadn't woken.

They'd been ordered back to Dumbledore's office. The waiting game was taking its toll on all of them. Remus had gone through three plates of sandwiches and two pots of tea. Bill had read an entire book on tracking spells. Sirius wasn't like them, he couldn't sit still. He paced. Back and forth until he thought the rug beneath him would wear away.

A loud chime sounded through the room. Dumbledore's eyes widened, he reached into his desk to pull a small box out of the drawer and rushed to the Floo.

"Where are you-"

"Severus' quarters!" Dumbledore called out.

Sirius didn't wait for an invitation, he simply followed, landing in the dimly lit room.

Snape was sprawled out on the floor, his Death Eater robes splayed around him. Dumbledore knelt next to him, pouring a potion into Snape's mouth. Snape sputtered and choked on it. A pale hand grabbed Dumbledore's.

"Pott...er." Snape mumbled.

"Will you show us?" Dumbledore waved his wand, a large shimmering bowl floating to the table.

Snape nodded. Dumbledore held the knobby wand to his head, a silver stream flowing from Snape's and into the Pensieve.

"Let's move him to the couch." Remus offered.

"No." Snape pushed himself up, stumbling but refusing aid all the way to the chesterfield where he slumped over like a sack of potatoes. He didn't even complain when Bill pulled the thick quilt over him and rekindled the fire.

"Are we ready?" Dumbledore met their gazes, stopping on Sirius.

"Yes," Remus answered.

Together, they went into the Pensieve to view the memory.

The memory launched them into the pristine mansion. From Snape's point of view, he was knelt down at Voldemort's right.

" _The silver band on her arm. I want to know more."_

"Oh, gods!" Remus muttered. "He's really back."

Dumbledore said nothing.

"This is You-Know-Who?" Bill stammered. "I expected someone more - villainy, I guess."

"He's at his prime," Dumbledore said in a near whisper. "The last time I saw him he was suffering under the effects of dark magic. What has he done?"

" _An invention of Dumbledore's, my lord. I don't know anything other than it's supposed to restrain her magic in that arm."_

" _How many know of this?"_

" _Two, my lord." Snape bowed his head. "Myself and Dumbledore."_

" _Are you sure?" Voldemort placed a finger under Snape's chin, forcing him to look up._

" _Yes, my lord," Snape answered._

"That's a lie!" Sirius said, "What's he playing at; lying to the most powerful Legilimens on the planet?"

"Misdirection." Dumbledore's voice came from his left. "To what end, I'm not quite sure yet."

" _Do you have need of potions, my lord," Snape said, "I've brought my usual supply."_

" _I feel younger and stronger than ever, Severus." Voldemort released Snape's chin. "Sit, talk with me."_

_Lucius walked back into the room. "Nagini led me here, my lord."_

" _Lucius, sit across from Severus," Voldemort said with a charming smile. "Nagini, on the table, if you wish."_

_Lucius jerkily moved to sit, his eyes darting to the large snake that slithered across the length of the table, stretching from one end to the other. Her face coming to rest within a foot of Voldemort's._

" _Lucius, give Severus my regards." Voldemort ran a finger across the snake's cheek. "And please do better than you did with Potter."_

_Lucius' hands shook, he lifted his wand, pointing it at Snape, his eyes wide and frantic. "Crucio!"_

_Snape jerked around in his chair, screaming and thrashing._

"That piece of shit used the Cruciatus on Mary?" Sirius cried out.

"She's with him then," Remus said. "She is really with him."

"No." Sirius shook his head. "Voldemort's lying. Mary wouldn't let them capture her. She's too stubborn."

" _She was stronger than you." Voldemort waved a hand at Lucius to stop the spell. "She didn't scream. But there is still time."_

Remus put a hand over his mouth. "They're planning on torturing her."

" _You have her, my Lord?" Snape's eyes widened in excitement. "The Potter girl is here to face justice?"_

The four men listened on bated breath, waiting for confirmation.

" _Tsk. Tsk." Voldemort clicked his tongue. "I do wonder what your fascination with her is. Do you desire her like you did her mother? Or is it something more than that?"_

_Snape's jaw clenched. "The girl is detestable! My only interest has been keeping tabs on her until your return, my lord."_

" _Until my return?" Voldemort leaned in closer. "Like you tried to save her from Quirinus? You knew I was there, didn't you? And instead of helping me regain my rightful body, you thwarted my plans. Lucius, again."_

" _ **Crucio!"**_

_Snape thrashed on the floor, a low keening cry escaping him._

" _What do you have to say in your defence, Severus?"_

_Voldemort again signalled for the spell to be ended._

" _Quirrell was evasive and acting sus...suspicious, m-my lord." Snape stuttered. "Had I kn..own he was aiding you, I would have offered my s...services."_

" _Truly?" Voldemort's thin lips twitched. "It must have been so hard to be alone over these long years. So difficult to work with Dumbledore, the man who ignored you and treated you like filth. Tell me, does he still prefer his Gryffindors over all others? Does he still let Slytherin house fall to the wayside?"_

" _He ignores my students at best," Severus answered at once. "They are punished and treated with prejudice for even the smallest transgression."_

" _This will have to change, Severus. I want you to personally see to it that my next generation of followers are well treated and properly trained."_

" _My Lord, you're asking me to apply for the Defense post again?"_

" _The job will be yours by the end of the summer, or you will not return to Hogwarts. Are we clear?"_

" _Yes, my lord."_

The memory ended, sending the four of them back into Snape's quarters.

Dumbledore rubbed a hand over his face, guilt displayed for all to see.

"What do we do?" Bill leaned forward.

"I'll call the Aurors, have them check out Malfoy Manor." Sirius stood.

"No." Dumbledore looked up, cold blue eyes staring at Sirius. "You'd need proof. The only evidence is Severus' memories. That would show him to be a Death Eater in the eyes of the Ministry as well as a traitor to Voldemort. We mustn't act in haste. Not until we know of young Mary's circumstances."

"He's right." Remus rubbed a hand over his face. "If Voldemort feels threatened, he may very well kill her."

Dumbledore spun his wand through the basin full of memories. "What are you hiding, Tom?"

"Maybe it's not Snape's memories we need to view." Bill looked up. "We could always ask Fleur."

"How would that help?" Sirius questioned.

Remus placed a hand on his shoulder. "She knows who took Mary."

"Sirius, Remus," Dumbledore said, his voice soft and pained. "There is a very real chance that Mary went of her own free will."

"No!" Sirius slammed his palms on the table. "She wouldn't!"

"I agree." Remus' amber eyes glowed. "No offence, headmaster, but you don't know her as we do. She would never join  _him_."

"It would be prudent to prepare yourself whatever the case may be." Dumbledore stood. "Though I believe you are right, William. Miss Delacour is our only hope."

Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace, holding out a hand when the other three followed. "Return to my office, gentleman. Bring the Pensieve. Should I be successful in garnering the memory, I'll return there at once."

Sirius nodded and went back to the table, carefully moving the memories into vials so they weren't disturbed on the trip.

"Professor?" Bill asked Snape, slightly shaking the man's shoulder. "Are you okay for us to leave?"

"Go." Snape hissed back.

Bill grimaced, joining them at the fireplace and grabbing a pinch of powder.

Moments later they were back in Dumbledore's uncomfortably warm office.

Sirius continued his pacing. His mind running through each scenario. Mary kept bound and locked away, hurting and scared. It wasn't a stretch for him to go to Malfoy Manor himself, but it was Unplottable. The estate was as well guarded and hidden as Grimmauld Place. One could only reach it by invitation, knowing its exact location. And even then, getting past the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself would turn it into a suicide mission.

_**POP. POP.** _

Sirius spun around. Kreacher was kneeling on the floor tugging at his ears. Dobby was wringing his hands, eyes filled with terror.

"Oh, my poor Mistress!" Kreacher wailed. "Surrounded by vermin!"

"Where is she?" Sirius stalked toward them, eying Dobby.

"She is being with Muggles, sir," Dobby replied, ears flapping around his face. "Attached to Muggle machines! We could not be getting her without being seen or hurting her!"

"She's alive?" Sirius knelt down in front Kreacher. "Is she okay?"

"We is not knowing," Dobby answered for him. "Mary Potter is being alive though, sirs!"

"Take us." Remus held his hand out to Dobby while Kreacher reached for Sirius like a lifeline.

Sirius turned to Bill. "Tell Dumbledore we've found her. I'll contact him through the old crowd's methods."

"I'll head to the infirmary now." Bill squeezed his shoulder. "Bring her back safe."

Another round of pops and they were in a brick alcove.

"She is being in this place," Dobby whispered, looking up at the glass-sided building.

"We'll find her and bring her home," Remus assured the elves.

Sirius moved away from them, the glass door opening before he could touch it. Remus was at his side, anticipation rolling off of him in waves. They were surrounded by colourful art decorating the walls. Massive glass paned ceilings that towered above them showing the cloudy late night sky.

How were they supposed to find her in a place this large?

"Our daughter was brought in sometime tonight," Remus walked up to the desk. "Mary Potter."

A woman in a light blue uniform looked up, mouth dropping open at the sight of them. Her eyes going from Sirius to Remus. "Your daughter?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

"Her name again?" The woman tapped on the device in front of her, then moved to a stack of papers on the desk.

"Mary Potter." Remus snarled.

"Emergency?" The woman tapped some more, nervous eyes darting up every few seconds.

"Yes," Sirius answered that time.

"We don't have anyone here by that name." The woman looked up, pity and a tinge of fear in her eyes. "What does she look like? We did have a Jane Doe come in earlier."

"About five foot six, dark hair, and green eyes," Remus answered.

The woman's eyes narrowed, her shoulders straightened. "Fourth floor. Go to the waiting room one-oh-seven, it's on the right. I'll send someone in to speak with you."

"Just tell us where she is!" Sirius demanded.

Remus tugged on his arm, looking back at the receptionist. "Thank you."

"Let go of me!" Sirius demanded, pulling away, but stopped and stared around in confusion. "A location spell, maybe?"

"The lift." Remus pressed a button by the door. "Let's try to stay calm. She's here and she's alive. I can feel it. Don't forget Sirius, we're in a Muggle hospital. No magic. It could disrupt the machines and possibly kill someone. And no talk of magic, spells, or potions."

"I'm not an imbecile." Sirius glared, leaning against the wall in the lift.

It started moving and Sirius grabbed the railing, feeling his stomach float around until the contraption came to a jerky halt. It wasn't like the smooth movement of the Ministry's lifts, that was for sure. The doors opened and a man and woman stepped on, huddling up together in the corner. Tears ran down the woman's face, while the man put an arm around her.

Hospitals. He hated them. The smell of death and sickness heavy in the air, the despair and pain clinging to everything.  _It has to be worse for Remus,_  he thought,  _with his heightened senses._  What was it like for Mary?

The bell chimed and Remus pulled him out of the lift and into a large atrium. He followed numbly, not knowing where to go, and mutely sat in the first chair he came across. He wasn't sitting for long. Four Muggle Aurors -police officers- walked toward them, behind them was a young man wearing a white coat.

"You're here about the Jane Doe?" The man asked, hard eyes looking from him to Remus.

"Yes," Remus stepped forward. "She's our niece."

"Can you tell us the last time you saw her?"

"It was before school," Remus answered at once.

The man looked down on them in disbelief.

Sirius' hackles raised. "She was on a school trip! Her teachers told us that they couldn't find her. We've looked everywhere! Please just tell us that she's here and that she's all right!"

The officer wasn't appeased by the story. "Did you file a missing persons report?"

"No!" Sirius said, moving to stand.

Remus put an arm on his shoulder, looking at the officers. "She's been known to wander off. We figured she had gone straight home or to a friend's house. This was our last option before we called you."

The man nodded. "I'll need you both to fill out some paperwork after this. Do you have any proof of your guardianship?"

Sirius thought about the Imperius Curse. He'd go through another stint in Azkaban if he could get her home safely, and it wasn't like Remus would rat him out. No one would know. Just one curse and they'd find her.

Remus pulled out his wallet, handing the man a photograph. "It was taken this past Christmas."

The officer stared at the photo for a moment then handed it to the man in the white coat.

"That's her." The man smiled, handing the picture back. "I'm Dr. Jones."

Jones turned and the officers nodded at him, backing out of the room. "Take a seat, please."

"We want to see her now," Sirius replied.

"I need to prepare you." The doctor started. "We don't know what happened to her, but she's had a rough night. They found her at a King's Cross platform. She lost consciousness before she could say much, but her condition is quite… unsettling."

"How bad?" Remus asked him.

"She's lost her right arm." The doctor stated bluntly.

Sirius felt the blood drain from his face.

"We've found significant nerve damage." Here the doctor stopped, giving them both a blank look. "To an extent that's only documented in victims of extreme torture. Usually electrocution."

Sirius stumbled slightly and Remus caught his arm. "We need to see her. Now."

"We don't have any facts yet." The doctor gestured for them to follow. "But you can rest assured that we're doing everything in our power to help."

Rooms with glass walls and doors surrounded them in the next section of the hospital. Machines beeped and hissed. People sat in chairs next to their loved ones looking worried and pale. Nurses walked from room to room. Sirius ignored all of this, focusing on the faces of those in the rooms. An old man. A young boy. A blonde woman. The doctor stopped and the doors opened to a dark room, the only light a lamp above the bed. Sirius' heart clenched.

Remus pushed past the doctor, rushing to her side, but Sirius could only stand there and gape. Bandages littered her left arm. Her left leg was also heavily wrapped. Her face was bruised and swollen. If it wasn't for the long dark hair, and that damned scar on her forehead he wouldn't have recognized her at all.

"What is that?!" He ground out, staring at the tube in her mouth.

"Don't be too worried." Dr. Jones said in a kind tone. "She's breathing fine all on her own, but we have her sedated for surgery."

"Surgery?" Remus gasped.

"The bones in her leg are shattered, but we have the best orthopaedic surgeon on staff, she's going to take care of the arm and leg all at once to save her from having to go under anaesthesia twice. Hmm. You didn't give us a name for her."

"Mary." Sirius moved to her bedside, brushing the hair out of her face.

"I'll give you a minute with Mary then, but we have the OR booked already," the doctor said, "are there any allergies we should know about?"

"We'd prefer if we could get Mary's doctor in for a second opinion," Remus spoke up, a glint in his amber eyes. "No offence to your hospital or surgeons, but I'd rather not take any chances with her health and recovery."

"That's well within your rights." The doctor nodded. "As a warning though, we are running out of time before her arm is no longer viable to be reattached. Please let her physician know that. In fact, I would like to speak with Mary's doctor myself. What clinic or office do they work at?"

"She'll call you." Remus bodily removed the doctor from the room, pressing the button to shut the door before turning to Sirius. "Get Dumbledore, Andy, whomever we need to get her out of here. She could have been tracked or followed. And it's not like we can check for it in this place."

Sirius pulled out the chocolate frog card that connected him straight to Dumbledore, then explained the situation in detail. Less than ten minutes after he put the card back in his pocket there was a knock on the door. Remus opened it, allowing Andy, Kingsley, and Tonks into the room.

"Wotcher," Tonks said, voice subdued as she went to Mary's side.

Sirius didn't move, just stood there, smoothing the hair away from Mary's face, wishing she would just wake up. He needed to see those lively green eyes. Hear her calling out jokes and threatening him with more immature pranks.

Andy picked up the clipboard at the end of the bed, reading each page before flipping to the next, her expression darkening by the moment.

"What do we do?" Remus asked. "We can't just leave her in here."

"I'm having her transferred to St. Mungos." Andy put the clipboard under her arm. "I'll get everything set up within the next half hour."

"Hogwarts." Remus stopped Andy. "Anyone could get to her in St. Mungos. And she'd feel more comfortable in the hospital wing."

Andy bristled. "The type of care she needs-"

"Hogwarts!" Sirius shot her a cold look. "She doesn't need another hospital, Andy, she needs to be home." Sirius turned to Kingsley. "There were Muggle Aurors. This won't be an easy cover-up."

"I've already informed Madam Bones of the situation." Kingsley nodded. "We've got a plan in place. Best to keep this under wraps while not Obliviating hundreds of people. Not an easy situation, but we've certainly seen worse."

Sirius knew what he meant. So many attacks during the First War nearly broke the Statute of Secrecy. Were they on the verge of going through the same thing all over again? Was this just the start of what was to come?

He heard the door open, shut, and open again, but paid it no mind. His concern wasn't Voldemort, Death Eaters, or a possible impending war. It was all reserved for the girl in front of him. The reason he was free. The reason he woke up every morning with a smile on his face. That soft voice that pulled him from his nightmares. " _You're free, Siri. The Dementors are gone. You're home. You're safe."_

"Ironic, isn't it?"

Remus soft voice broke through his musings.

"What's that?" Sirius looked up.

"Jane Doe." Remus grabbed Mary's left hand and held it in his own. "Her middle name and her mother's Patronus. Funny that it's the name they give to unidentified Muggles or those who have no name of their own. Her life would be simpler if she wasn't Mary Potter, the heroine of the Wizarding World. But just Jane Doe, free to live her life to its fullest."

"Jane Doe." Sirius let the name slip past his lips. "I think Jane and her uncles need a nice long holiday after this. Somewhere Muggle where she won't be recognized."

"I completely agree." Remus bent down to kiss Mary's hand. "She'll get through this."

"I know." Sirius nodded.

The door opened, Andy walked back in with a smug smile on her face while the Muggle doctor didn't look pleased. "Again, it's in my professional opinion that she not be moved! This is the best facility in the UK, I doubt there is much your clinic can do to compete with that in terms of quality of care!"

"Her guardians have already agreed, haven't you?" Andy shot Sirius a pointed look.

"Yes." Sirius and Remus said in unison.

"There's still the paperwork to fill out." The doctor suddenly brightened. "And I'm afraid I can't release Jane- Mary into your care until both the police and I have proof that you are her legal guardians and doctor."

" _Obliviate!"_  Kingsley cast at once, catching the doctor who began to sway, turning the man to stare him straight in the eye. "You have all the proof you need. You're going to prepare everything for the transport and walk us up to the helipad on the roof where you'll see a helicopter waiting. You'll tell the authorities that everything was done legally and within the rights of her guardians. If they ask questions, you will give them my card at MI:5, Jane Doe is under witness protection and her information is classified. Go now."

Kingsley stuffed a white business card into the man's white coat pocket and squeezed his shoulder.

Dr. Jones blinked rapidly, then looked around in confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm feeling a little light headed. Give me just a few moments and I'll have a gurney brought in for the transfer."

"Thank you." Kingsley smiled.

Just as he'd been instructed, Dr. Jones helped them cart Mary's gurney up to the roof, where he turned and gave one last confused glance in her direction before he shut the door.

"Portkey to the private ward in Hogwarts." Andy held out a muggle pen. "Dumbledore sent it over with Fawkes. Hold tightly to that cooler, Dora."

Tonks grimaced but wrapped an arm around the red cooler. "Why do I have to carry the arm?"

"Cause you're not going to trip and drop Mary when we arrive." Andy shot back. "Everyone else, be sure to get a firm grip. We need to land gently as possible to avoid jarring her broken bones."

The portkey activated, and Sirius braced himself. Twisting and spinning until it finally spat them out into the large room in the Hogwarts infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey rushed forward, clicking her tongue and looking none too pleased. "Healer Tonks, help me get her onto the bed. The rest of you get out."

"No," Sirius said at once. "We're staying."

"You are not!" Andy stalked toward him. "Give her a little privacy and allow us to examine her without you hovering around. You'll be of no use here. Dora put the cooler on the floor."

"Come on you two." Tonks grabbed him and Remus by the arms. "Best to let mum have her way. Kingsley and I will guard her door, so you go get some coffee, maybe tell Mary's friends that she's alive. Ron's been driving Bill bonkers."

"You'll get us as soon as anything happens?" Remus begged. "Anything at all?"

Tonks laid her hand over his. "Swear it on my life."

* * *

Despite the numerous potions he took, Severus couldn't shake the tremors or the pain that accompanied them. A long scalding shower eased his muscles, but it was not enough. A tumbler of whiskey and the warm fire took the edge off, but the shaking of his hands still brought the memories right back. Leaning forward he felt something heavy settle around his back. The quilt had slid over the edge of the couch.

He stared at the dark pattern of greens and greys. It was the same quilt that Potter used each time she showed up suffering from her visions. Did she sense it somehow? That it was Rose Evans that made it for him?

Sleep found him at some point, his head filled with acts of terror and horror that he'd been part of. That was until  _she_  stepped out of the fireplace. In the dim light, she moved closer. Fear hammered in his throat. A curse left his lips, but she was faster, bringing up a shield and letting the spell hit the wall.

"It's Andromeda." The woman spoke in a voice all too sane to match her sister's face. "My apologies for showing up unannounced."

"What are you doing in my quarters?" Snape stood, shaking the quilt from his shoulders.

"I need your help and your silence. Can I trust you?"

 _Years._  He'd spent more than thirty years pushing people away and making himself unapproachable, but as of late it seemed that anyone and everyone needed his help or advice. And it was all Potter's fault.

"What do you need?"

Andromeda placed a red Muggle cooler on his table. "I need a better explanation than the headmaster can give me, a cure, and a semi-permanent sticking charm."

Severus opened the cooler, staring down at the contents, his mind spinning at the implications of what Andromeda requested of him. "Door to the right is my personal lab."

"Go get changed." Andromeda shooed him away. "I'll Floo the kitchens for tea and sandwiches."

* * *

"As long as the memory is given willingly, all will be well," Dumbledore explained to the Delacours.

Bill stood back as Madam Pomfrey fussed over Fleur.

"It is in her best interest that we know exactly what happened," Andy told them. "Her treatment will go smoother if we know what we're dealing with."

"Will you allow this, Fleur?" Monsieur Delacour asked. "This exchange of memories?"

Fleur reached up and grabbed her mother's hand, squeezing it until her knuckles turned white.

Her mother wiped the tears from Fleur's cheeks. "My brave girl. What would Maman and Papa do without you?"

"It will not hurt?" Monsieur Delacour's concerned eyes focused on Dumbledore.

"No," Dumbledore said, moving closer. "Fleur need only focus on the events that transpired. The spell will draw out those memories for us to view."

Bill felt odd standing there and spectating. He was only allowed into the room because he'd needed to announce that Mary'd been found. That in itself was a huge burden lifted from his mind. She'd become a part of his family. Another sister. It would break his heart and tear apart his family if they lost her.

And Fleur, lying there so weak, but still doing all she could to help meant everything to him. His respect for her amplified.

"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked.

Fleur squeezed his hand.

Dumbledore placed his wand against her temple, much like he did with Snape. The memories flowed out and were guided into the stone basin Bill carefully held. Fleur let out a shallow breath, her body relaxing as though a weight had been removed from her shoulders.

Curiosity dogged him, begging to delve into the basin and view the memories. But he held back, everyone else was going into the memory, Madam Pomfrey and Healer Tonks included. Leaving Fleur alone didn't feel right.

While everyone else was focused on her memory, Bill tried his best to comfort her.

"Mary's okay." He told her, hoping it wasn't a lie. "Viktor should be waking up soon. The three of you made it. You're Triwizard champions."

Fleur's pale blue eyes blinked rapidly, a tear falling into her pale hair.

Fleur's mouth moved but no sound came out.

Bill knelt next to the bed, gripping her hand in his.

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

A hint of a smile graced her face, squeezing his hand in return.

* * *

"Is it ready?" Andromeda's head floated in the fireplace.

Severus picked up the cooler, along with a plethora of potions, then stepped into the Floo.

They'd worked on it for hours, using both Muggle ingenuity and Magical power. A blood transfusion, nearly an entire vat of powdered silver and dittany, but they had hope that it would work. If it did, this was the start of something big. They could cure Lycanthropy, maybe even vampirism. But not yet. They'd swore an oath that they'd keep it a secret from all but each other. Noone, not even Dumbledore could be trusted. Especially not with this.

Snape walked past Black and Lupin, both of which narrowed their eyes at the sight of the cooler. Poppy and Andy -as she preferred to be called- both continued with their examination.

"Any change?" He asked.

"We'll likely not know more until she wakes and can tell us what and all she's been through."

"Her bones are mending nicely." Poppy waved her wand over Potter's leg, a magical x-ray image floating in front of them.

They reattached her arm, dosed her with Blood replenisher, Skele Gro, and Nerve Repair. All they could do now was wait.

Andy waved her wand and Potter's wild mane combed and twisted itself into a simple braid.

The girl's arm twitched. The muscles and tissue stitching back together.

"Mmm," Potter mumbled, a grimace on her pale face.

"Mary?" Andy bent closer to her. "Wake up, dear."

Potter fought through her drowsiness, her eyes heavily lidded as she stared up at the ceiling and blinked.

"How are you feeling?" Poppy asked, looking down at her in a motherly fashion.

Potter tilted her head. "O..ouch."


End file.
